Mark Kennedy

That’s a scenario that has been forced on Cardiff City players and staff all too regularly this year, as the club grapples with mounting financial pressure.

To have secured a two-year contract at Portman Road represents welcome security for a player in his mid-thirties, and is an example of how well thought of the Irishman is throughout the game.

But it’s not as if Kennedy was stressed out by Cardiff’s money worries.

No, he felt more for the likes of the Bluebirds administrative staff, all of whom earn miniscule wages compared to the players.

“The players are in a very privileged position, they get paid well for what they do and should be able to sustain any setback like late wages for a few days,” said Kennedy.

“But the ones I feel sorry for are the office workers who have standing orders and mortgages to pay on dates that are close to when their wages are supposed to go in.

“They are the ones who are affected the most, they are the ones who could not go too much longer without money going into their accounts.

“That is more worrying than players not getting paid for a couple of days.

“The club has moved forward whether people like it or not, but it’s the people in the background who are the ones you don’t think about when this type of thing happens.

“As a professional player, if you have looked after your money you should not be in a situation where the bank manager is ringing you saying your wages have not gone through.

“We should all be in a position to wait a few days, but so many others are not.”

Ipswich Town boss Roy Keane finally got his man after expressing interest in the Republic of Ireland defender twice in the last six months.

After coming through a medical Kennedy penned his deal yesterday afternoon and his class, experience and reliability will be missed by an already thin Bluebirds squad.

But, while expressing his concern about Cardiff’s financial situation, Kennedy, who played 76 times for the club over the course of two campaigns, insisted that playing-wise, he will retain only fond memories of his time in South Wales.

“Yes, I will take only good memories with me,” he emphasised.

“In my first season we finished seventh and missed out on the play-offs by a single goal. And in my second year we made the play-off final.

“Some people might still think about what might have been after that game against Blackpool.

“But I can only look at it as history now and maybe everyone should do the same because there’s nothing to be done about it now.

“All we can do is concentrate on the future.

“It’s all been good for me at Cardiff. I had a great manager, played alongside great players and in front of great supporters.

“In fact, it was probably the two happiest years of my 19-year career.

“But I want to play at the highest level for as long as I possibly can.

“The two-year contract Ipswich have given me allows me the best chance to do that.

“I’ve kept to my pre-season programme during the summer and I’m feeling fit and fresh and ready to go.”

Ipswich themselves will be aiming to make a play-off assault themselves after a disappointing first season under the stewardship of Keane.

But Kennedy is adamant Cardiff can figure too, despite the pessimism of those who point to the lack of summer recruitment due to the well-documented transfer embargo.

Kennedy added: “When I was with Dave at Wolves we were 11 points clear at the top of the Championship with eight games remaining on the season and ended up third, that experience alone got us promoted the following season.

“At Cardiff we finish seventh and blow up, the following year we get to the play-off final, and that’s why the manager and the players will be better off for the experience.

“Jones has done brilliantly for the club, he’s brought in players worth in the region of £200,000, £300,000 and then a couple years later sold them for millions, and turned players into assets for the club.

“Yes, the players have had to have it in them, but the hard work sometimes is bringing it out of them. On their day, Cardiff are a match for anybody, and with roughly the same squad they will be up there again this season.”