Canvey Island wing-back star John Kennedy has been rewarded for a second successive great year at Park Lane with a call-up for the world-famous Middlesex Wanderers team for a tour next month.

Touring special -- for Canvey's John Kennedy (left), seen battling in a big FA Cup tie at Wigan earlier in the season. Picture: LUAN MARSHALL 42E9T49M

Kennedy, who has been a big hit with Gulls since joining from Ipswich Town two seasons ago, was selected after 30 clubs in England, Wales and Scotland were contacted about possible selection for their players.

Wanderers have been in existence since the early 1900s and have travelled all over the world. This time they're off to the Far East and they'll be visiting Indonesia and Vietnam.

The tour will leave Heathrow Airport for Jakarta where a match has been arranged against the Indonesian National side.

The party will then move on to Ho Chi Minh City to play Vietnam before returning home to Britain on June 1.

In its 97-year history, Middlesex Wanderers have completed over 100 tours to 40 different countries.

Kennedy has played a huge part in Canvey's successes in both Ryman League, FA Cup and FA Umbro Trophy in the past two years -- including last year's final triumph in the latter competition where he was voted man-of-the-match in the 1-0 success against Forest Green Rovers.

Central defender Steve Ward is one of ten players on the reserve list of ten to make the trip.

Kennedy's call-up is Gulls' second big representative honour in recent weeks. Last month midfielder Mark Stimson was in the England "National Game" X1 which took on and beat the USA He'll collect his international cap at the FA Umbro Trophy, being played at Villa Park, next month.

Published Tuesday, April 9, 2002