Dundee United central defender Garry Kenneth has revealed he wants to leave the club after eight years at Tannadice.
Kenneth (24), who was born and bred in Dundee and is a lifelong supporter of the Tangerines, has informed manager Peter Houston that he wants to move on.
The Scotland international is out of contract at the end of this season and is desperate to fulfil his dream of plying his trade in England.
He has looked on in interest as former teammates Craig Conway, Prince Buaben, Morgaro Gomis and, most recently, David Goodwillie have travelled south in their quest to feature on a bigger stage. Now he wants to follow them once he calls time on his tenure at Tannadice.
”There is nothing concrete but I have been at the club for eight years now and it is time for a change,” said Kenneth. ”I need new challenges and a fresh go, so that is something I will look at over the next five or six months.
“The big challenge is to go down south and do it at a high level. I just feel like going down to England and having a fresh start would be good for me.
”Hopefully, if I can get my league form going then I will get some interest. The manager has not said much but I think he understands where I am coming from.”
Kenneth feels it is only natural for players to look to move on from United in a bid to reach the highest level they possibly can.
He cited current Celtic star Mark Wilson and now Blackburn Rovers striker Goodwillie as prime examples of those who have done just that.
”Dundee United are a feeder club it has always been like that in the past,” said Kenneth. ”Mark Wilson and David Goodwillie have used it to move on to bigger things, and hopefully I can go on to a bigger club too.”
While wishing to search for pastures new, Kenneth stressed he is grateful to his boyhood heroes for helping him achieve what he has in the game.
”I wanted to play for United since I was three years old,” he added. ”I have lifted the Scottish Cup and played for Scotland so the club has been brilliant for me. There have been ups and downs but playing for the club I love tops off any lows there have been.”
Kenneth made his debut for United as a substitute in the club’s 3-0 win over Queen of the South in the Scottish Cup back in February 2005.
He came to real prominence when he featured for the Tangerines in the final of that season’s competition, showing up well in the defeat to Celtic despite his tender years. He then collected his second runners-up medal in the 2008 CIS Cup final against Rangers at Hampden.
After the disappointment of losing out in two finals at the national stadium, Kenneth finally got his hands on some silverware in May 2010 as the Tangerines defeated Ross County 3-0 to lift their second Scottish Cup.
He made his full international debut for Scotland in a friendly match against Sweden in Stockholm in August of last year.