Seasons2020-21Everton News

Billy Kenny, 'Goodison Gazza', opens up on his wrecked career [£]

Saturday, 26 December, 2020 8comments  |  Jump to last
The Athletic's Greg O'Keeffe caught up with Billy Kenny, the greatest product of Everton's youth academy of his generation, as the one-time "next big thing" finally tells the story of how his career derailed amid alcoholism and drug addiction before it had even really begun.

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Reader Comments (8)

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Darren Hind
1 Posted 28/12/2020 at 10:07:30
Great talent. Great waste. Great pity.
Jack Convery
2 Posted 28/12/2020 at 19:46:40
He was the business. Such a shame he went off the rails. I remember him bossing the midfield and giving Liverpool a lot to think about too. I wish him well and hope the rest of his life is a happy one.
John Keating
3 Posted 29/12/2020 at 16:53:16
Think I mentioned this years ago. Billy was in my younger brothers school team. He had already had Macmanaman in a previous team, might have been a year or two before?
Anyway he said one day that he had a kid in his team that would one day become captain of Everton and England he was that good.
I thought he meant Macmenaman but wrong, ge said Macmanaman was good but this lad Billy Kenny was superior in every way.
We’ll never know
Liam Mogan
4 Posted 29/12/2020 at 20:16:13
I played against Billy Kenny a number of times in youth football. Even though he was playing in the age group above, he was an unbelievable player, the best and most dominant I ever saw that close up. However, his character flaws were apparent even then, a bully on and off the field, nasty, loud and an arl arse.

Also played against McManaman a lot. Couldn't get near him. However, I also played with a lad who went to Liverpool at the same time as him, same position, and twice the player at that point. Another similar story to Billy Kenny, unfortunately. Even sadder, to tell the truth.

Jamal Paktongko
5 Posted 01/01/2021 at 14:03:47
GOvernment should crack down on alcoholism. It's destroying so many lives

Maybe they should ban alcohol altogether and only allow alcohol consumption at home.

Pubs are only allowed to sell non alcoholic beer.

Bring back the prohobition era.

Phil Gardner
6 Posted 05/01/2021 at 10:35:47
Fancy a pint?
Hugh Jenkins
7 Posted 14/01/2021 at 22:35:03
Jamal (5). You can see how well that turned out in the USA in the 1920s. With the majority of people, the one thing that you can be sure will drive them to desire something, is to tell them they can't have it.
Steve Carse
8 Posted 16/01/2021 at 11:56:53
Jack (2), saying that Billy Kenny "gave Liverpool a lot to think about" is something of an understatement. He ran the show against a midfield that included the likes of Souness (getting the MotM award if I recall). An unbelievable talent, with the personality characteristics (only on the field unfortunately) that would have made an absolute star.

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