Schalke's Jonjoe Kenny: Reviderderby atmosphere "gave me goosebumps"
Schalke's English defender Jonjoe Kenny knows a thing or two about playing against a local rival, but it's safe to say his first taste of the Revierderby against Borussia Dortmund was one of his most memorable derby experiences.
The 22-year-old is on loan at the Royal Blues from English Premier League side Everton, and as a born-and-bred Evertonian who has twice played against bitter city neighbours Liverpool in the Merseyside derby, Kenny is well aware of the passion required to compete against local rivals.
"I have experience in this type of fixture from playing in the Merseyside derby, and I know what the fans expect from us," he told Schalke's website pre-game. What he might not have expected was the deafening wall of noise that greeted the players when they took to the pitch.
"It gave me goosebumps with how loud it was coming out today," the England U21 international told bundesliga.com after the final whistle on Saturday. "You can't hear yourself think in the game, so it was a great experience for me to be involved in."
Kenny rose to the occasion impressively as part of a Schalke defence which kept Dortmund from scoring. He covered 6.51 miles - a distance bettered by only three teammates - was on the ball throughout (60 touches), and won a respectable nine tackles in a notoriously feisty fixture.
And though a spirited collective performance was not enough for three points, it was nevertheless another successful afternoon for the right-back, who has made the spot his own since arriving in the summer.
Watch: Kenny: "It gave me goosebumps!"
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Starting all nine of Schalke's league games this season and missing just four minutes of Bundesliga action, the loanee's industry and energy have made him an instant hit with the fans, who have welcomed him as one of their own, an honorary local lad.
And like the Gelsenkirchen locals, Kenny might very well already have circled in his diary the weekend of 13-16 March 2020: Matchday 26, Dortmund versus Schalke and his next Revierderby fix.
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