▁at ▁local ▁club ▁Ban bury ▁United ▁before ▁signing ▁for ▁Third ▁Division ▁club ▁Reading ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 7 ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 2 0 . ▁Reading ▁were ▁re leg ated ▁to ▁the ▁Four th ▁Division ▁in ▁his ▁first ▁season , ▁but ▁b ounced ▁back ▁two ▁years ▁later , ▁as ▁K ear ns ▁added ▁ 1 1 ▁league ▁goals ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 6 ▁he ▁scored ▁the ▁previous ▁season . ▁He ▁then ▁joined ▁Oxford ▁United , ▁and ▁scored ▁in ▁Jim ▁Smith ' s ▁first ▁game ▁as ▁manager . ▁However , ▁he ▁was ▁only ▁to ▁spend ▁one ▁year ▁at ▁the ▁Man or ▁Gr ound ▁before ▁his ▁transfer ▁to ▁W als all , ▁also ▁of ▁the ▁Third ▁Division , ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 2 , ▁where ▁he ▁joined ▁his ▁older ▁brother ▁M ick . ▁Again , ▁he ▁was ▁to ▁spend ▁only ▁one ▁year ▁at ▁F ell ows ▁Park ▁before ▁dro pping ▁down ▁a ▁division ▁to ▁play ▁for ▁Here ford ▁United . ▁ ▁K ear ns ▁arrived ▁at ▁Here ford ▁United ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 3 ▁aged ▁ 2 7 ▁and ▁spent ▁four - and - a - half ▁years ▁at ▁Ed gar ▁Street , ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁top ▁goals cor er ▁two ▁seasons ▁running , ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 5 – 8 6 ▁and ▁ 1 9 8 6 – 8 7 . ▁K ear ns ▁then ▁moved ▁to ▁W re x ham . ▁He ▁finished ▁his ▁Football ▁League ▁career ▁with ▁the ▁Wel sh ▁club ▁– ▁a ▁career ▁that ▁saw ▁him