 He and his wife Leeona had a daughter, Lucy, born on 14 November 2006, which caused him to miss an international friendly match against Netherlands the next day.In April 2008, Kirkland teamed up with fellow professionals Kevin Davies and Brett Emerton to help launch the "Get Started" programme, a national scheme which aims to tackle re-offending.He visited Hindley Youth Offenders' Institution in support of the scheme, which is delivered by The Prince's Trust in partnership with the Premier League, the PFA and the Football Foundation.