Crusaders will have the most gifted Irish League player in their ranks in Saturday’s Samuel Gelston’s Whiskey Irish Cup final with Ballymena United at Windsor Park.
So says experienced Crues skipper Billy Joe Burns who rates teammate and versatile midfielder Ben Kennedy “too good” to be playing in the Danske Bank Premiership.
Kennedy, who joined the Shore Road club in 2020 after returning home from Stevenage where he spent five years, has had a hand in 28 of his club’s goals this season.
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As well as scoring 15 goals in all competitions, including two in the Irish Cup, the 25-year-old has contributed 13 assists from open play and set-pieces.
Burns said: “When he came back Ben had to adjust to the league and get himself properly fit, but the Ben Kennedy of this season is, in my opinion, the best player in the league.
“Personally, I believe he is actually too good for this league. Some of his touches, his passing, his vision, seeing it on a weekly basis is scary.
“There might be more effective players in the league, but in terms of being an actual footballer, he is above our level. That’s just being honest - he’s too good for our league.”
Kennedy has played in a number of positions for the Crues, but Burns believes the former Northern Ireland U21 international does most damage in central areas.
“You’re never sure if versatility is a good thing or a bad thing because you can get moved about and it can affect your form, but to be fair to him, it hasn’t,” he said.
“He can play on the wing or in other positions, but with Ben playing centrally in the final third, that’s where you want him on the ball because he can make things happen.
“He has scored goals for us this season and his assists have also been fantastic. Every game he’s either scoring or providing an assist so his contribution has been brilliant.”
Burns is one of several senior players in Stephen Baxter’s squad alongside the likes of Jordan Owens, Philip Lowry, Johnny Tuffey and Jordan Forsythe who are also in their 30s.
But the 33-year-old believes Irish Cup success could prove a “catalyst” for younger players in the squad like Kennedy and defender Daniel Larmour.
“We have a few younger boys like Ben and Daniel Larmour who is another player who has the potential to be the best centre-half in this league,” he said.
“There are times when you just need to win that first trophy or win that big game to give you that confidence to push on.
“The longer you go without success, it can play on your mind, so the sooner these boys win medals the better for Crusaders.”
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