MARK Kennedy not only gives his opponent a headache during games – he also gives himself one!

The Ipswich Town left back has been a model of consistency in recent games having been dogged by niggling hamstring injuries in his first six months at Portman Road having been signed from Cardiff City in the summer.

He is due to take his place in the back four for the home match against Portsmouth this afternoon (kick-off 3pm) when the Pompey right winger will no doubt be in for a tough time.

He could well be left scratching his head at his inability to get the better of the 34-year-old former Republic of Ireland international.

But Kennedy expects to walk off the field with a headache as well.

“I talk so much it always leaves me with a headache,” revealed Kennedy.

“It is one of the jobs I was brought here to do.

“In my previous teams there were always seven or eight in the side who were doing similar things.

“But at Ipswich we are a quiet team.

“This makes it even more important for me to talk through games.”

Kennedy says that he has been impressed with loan signing Jimmy Bullard, but he added.

“Jimmy is not a talker on the field.

“Grant Leadbitter is a great skipper and he reminds me of Joe Ledley when I was at Cardiff who also led by example and every skipper is different.

“Gareth McAuley can head the ball 60 yards clear early on in a game and that is also leading by example to give everybody a boost.

“The manager is aware of where we are on this and we had an exercise in training the other week when we weren’t allowed to speak. It was impossible.”

Kennedy, who says he gets any help he needs from the dug-out area, is often seen talking to 17-year-old Connor Wickham a youngster who has been playing in front of him in recent weeks.

“Yeah I talk to Connor a lot, and to Lee Martin who comes over to my side,” added Kennedy.

“In fact I talk to everybody and we all help each other in different ways.

“We may be a quiet team, but we don’t get bullied. We have players who can put their foot in.”

Kennedy will be looking to help the Blues get back to winning ways today after their defeat at QPR on Tuesday.

He said: “It is nice when you play well and get results.

“But the flip side to that is when you play well for 45 minutes - far better than QPR - yet the opposition get the points.

“Winning is all that matters in football.

“QPR proved why they at the top and what we need to do to get there.

“It will be difficult today as many in our squad consider Portsmouth to be the best side we have played this season in the 0-0 draw at Fratton Park.”