Former Irish League striker proving age is just a number by scoring seven goals in 18-1 win at 44

The 44-year-old has previously enjoyed two spells in the Irish League with Cliftonville – the second of which was brought to an end following a back operation – and also spent time with Ards, but Kilmore is where the forward calls home.

He started his career with the Northern Amateur Football League outfit and will end it there too, but Kennedy has no plans to hang up his boots anytime soon, and why would he?

Kennedy has netted 18 goals in nine league games for the Swifts this season and turned out for Kilmore’s first team, which is managed by former Linfield star Michael Carvill, earlier this month.

"I feel great,” he said. “I've got the buzz back and I'm enjoying playing football at the minute.

"There were a few years there when I took a step back and stopped playing but I couldn't walk away. I want to play for as long as I can because there's plenty of time for retirement.

"I'm enjoying it even more at the minute. There's no pressure. My four kids come and watch me play nearly every week so I'm really enjoying it.

"I still absolutely have that drive to win and I like winning but the big pressure is off. I was playing against John (Connolly) a few weeks ago for Kilmore first team and he was playing for Dromara.

"I played with him at Cliftonville so I know him and we were saying the exact same thing. You don't know what's around the corner and you don't take anything for granted - you play your game, play with a smile on your face and enjoy the craic afterwards.

"There is no secret (to longevity)! It's just passion and that's what it boils down to. I love football, love sticking my boots on every Saturday and am really enjoying it.

"The bones are sore for five or six days after a game but I'll take any aches and pains just to get the boots back on. It's all worth it in the end."

Kennedy made one appearance for Cliftonville as they won the 1997/98 top-flight title and returned for four seasons in 2005.

"People say who do you support and I always tell them I support Cliftonville,” he added. “I follow Man United but the club that I really support is Cliftonville because I loved my time there. It's the first result I look out for every week.

"We won the County Antrim Shield and qualified for Europe. We got to the semis of the Irish Cup as well so we had a couple of great seasons but injuries cut my time short.”

Kennedy successfully dabbled with management after returning to Kilmore from Solitude, winning the NAFL Division 1A title and Steel and Sons Cup (Kennedy was named man-of-the-match in the final) alongside Paul Mullen in 2009/10 but doesn’t foresee his long-term future in a dugout.

"I don't think I'll ever go back to senior management,” he said. “I manage the under-8 team that my twins play for so hopefully I can take them as far as I can at underage level until I can let them go.

"I enjoyed it (management) to a certain point. With the hunger I always wanted to play. All you can do is talk and give advice and that isn't me.

"Paul was with me and he was really good. It wasn't the same buzz for me. We had success but I would rather play.

"It's not the same. I have real admiration for all managers out there because it isn't an easy game."

Both Kilmore’s first and second teams are in with a chance of gaining promotion from their respective leagues while the youth section, which has produced the likes of Carvill and Andy Waterworth in the past, is thriving.

"Things behind the scenes are going really well and if you find another youth setup in the country that's better than Kilmore's then I would like to see it,” he said. “We have teams from under-six up to under-18 and there's about 30 kids at each age group.

"Michael is tremendous and has been a ray of light. He doesn't just manage the first team but helps me out with the under-8s as well.

"He has big plans and he's there for the foreseeable future - he isn't just there to build himself and then go onto higher things.

"He's a Kilmore man too and he wants things done right. Every time I've worked under him his professionalism has been second to none."