Darren Kenton ⭑ From A-Z since '92

By Moxcowhite • Daniel Chapman in A-Z since 92 on Mar 25, 2026

This is part of my (eight year long, it'll fly by) attempt to write about every Leeds United player since 1992. For more about why I'm doing this, go back to Aapo Halme, and to read all the players so far, browse the archive here.

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Darren Kenton's Leeds United career was meagre: sixteen games in the second half of our first season in League One, 2007/08. He was basically fine, as might be expected of a defender who had earlier played sixteen games in the Premier League, but the nearer Leeds got to a play-off final against Doncaster, the further he drifted from the team.

Kenton arrived in January as cover while Rui Marques was at the African Cup of Nations, and because he could do many things. Primarily a right-back, he was a good centre-back too, decent at left-back, capable in midfield. That sort of utility was nectar to United's managerial team, Dennis Wise and Dave Bassett, who had first come across Kenton when they were in caretaker charge of Southampton in 2005. They were soon gone, after Wise decided an executive job with Newcastle United would help him be closer to London, but new boss Gary McAllister was content to take over Kenton's contract from Leicester City.

Kenton had grown up in a Norwich City side full of youthful potential, capitalising on winning their youth league in 1996/97. Manager Mike Walker gave him a debut in October 1997, at nineteen, a late sub in a defeat at Tranmere into a defence that featured Danny Mills. Craig Bellamy had made his debut towards the end of the previous season, and goalkeeper Robert Green followed Kenton into the team in April 1999.

Bellamy was the obvious star, and Green was a future England international. But Kenton received high praise during Norwich's attempts to win promotion to the Premier League. Quick and versatile, he was described as 'ebullient', 'adventurous' and 'free-spirited' from full-back, 'outstanding' and 'classy' in central defence. He 'can catch pigeons', noted Chris Kamara.

There were some bumps: Nigel Worthington dropped him for being in a nightclub before a reserve game. And the club as a whole suffered from losing to Birmingham City in the 2002 play-off final. After finishing 6th in the league, Norwich got past 3rd placed Wolves 3-2 on aggregate. Birmingham had finished 5th, beaten Millwall, and beat Norwich 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw. Not taking one of the penalties, Kenton said years later, was "probably one of the biggest regrets of my career."

By the following season a Norwich fan reporter was telling The Guardian, 'Darren Kenton's performances have gone beyond superlatives', and with Craig Bellamy already gone to Coventry City and onto Newcastle United, Kenton was next in line for the Premier League. Norwich, bizarrely, seemed ill-prepared. "If we go up there would be no problems with me signing," a new deal, Kenton said. "But I was disappointed that Norwich waited until the last nine months of my contract before they got around to talking to me."

When their attempt at remaking the play-offs fizzled out, Kenton declared his intention to leave, and Norwich cancelled his contract before the final game of the season. "Our agreement with Darren to release him two months early is simply a way of avoiding part of our contractual commitment to him between now and June 30, thereby saving the club money," said their chief executive. He should have been making millions from him in transfer fees.

Kenton had signed as a Southampton player in time for their defeat to Arsenal in the FA Cup final, but the rules prevented him being involved with Gordon Strachan's squad for the big match. It's with this change of managers, from former Leeds United left-back Nigel Worthington to Leeds United legend Gordon Strachan, that we should pause and take stock of Kenton's immersion in the Leeds United diaspora.

At Norwich, he'd been in the youth teams when Jon Newsome and David Rocastle were playing for the firsts. His first manager Mike Walker's assistant was John Faulkner, who Don Revie had signed from Sutton United in 1970 as a possible replacement for Jack Charlton, but who moved on from Leeds after two injury-affected years. Danny Mills and Rob Green have already been mentioned, and both became Leeds players sooner or later. Another Norwich youth product, Adam Drury, became close friends with Kenton when they were both twelve and joined Leeds in 2012. Also passing through Carrow Road in Kenton's time were Paul Heckingbottom, David Healy and Leigh Bromby.

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