 Kelly playing forCrystal Palace in 2016 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Martin Ronald Kelly[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1990-04-27)27 April 1990 (age 35)[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Whiston, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)[3] | ||
| Position(s) | Centre-back,right-back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1997–2008 | Liverpool | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2008–2014 | Liverpool | 33 | (0) |
| 2009 | →Huddersfield Town (loan) | 7 | (1) |
| 2014–2022 | Crystal Palace | 121 | (0) |
| 2022–2024 | West Bromwich Albion | 5 | (0) |
| 2023 | →Wigan Athletic (loan) | 1 | (0) |
| Total | 167 | (1) | |
| International career | |||
| 2009 | England U19 | 5 | (0) |
| 2009 | England U20 | 4 | (0) |
| 2010–2012 | England U21 | 8 | (3) |
| 2012 | England | 1 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Martin Ronald Kelly (born 27 April 1990) is an English former professionalfootballer who played as acentre-back orright-back.
Kelly began his career at hometown clubLiverpool, making 62 appearances across all competitions from his debut in 2008, and winning theLeague Cup in 2012. In 2014, he transferred toCrystal Palace for a fee of £2 million. In 2022, he signed forWest Bromwich Albion on a free transfer. He later retired from football on October 2025.
He played two minutes forEngland in a friendly againstNorway on 26 May 2012, making him theEngland player with the shortest international career. He was an unused member of their squad forUEFA Euro 2012.
Kelly was born inWhiston, Merseyside[4] and raised inNewton-le-Willows by his parents where he attended St Mary's Primary and then St Aelred's Catholic Technology College.[5] He joinedLiverpool at the age of seven and came through Academy ranks.[6]
Kelly was promoted toMelwood fromthe club's academy in the summer of 2007.[7] In an interview for Liverpool's official website he spoke about his delight at making the step up despite missing roughly two years of football for the youth team due to back problems.[8][9] Kelly broke intoGary Ablett's title winning reserves team during2007–08.[10] He scored the second goal in Liverpool's 3–0 win overTigres UANL in the2008 Dallas Cup final on 23 March 2008.[11]
Ahead of the2008–09 season he received a first-team squad number.[12] He earned his first call up to the senior team in November 2008 when he was an unused substitute in Liverpool'sUEFA Champions League group stage match againstMarseille.[13] Not long after, he debuted as a substitute forJamie Carragher in the same competition againstPSV Eindhoven on 9 December 2008.[14]
On 26 March 2009, as the loan transfer window closed, Kelly joinedLeague One clubHuddersfield Town on loan until the end of the season.[15] He made his debut for the Terriers as a left-back in the 2–1 win overBristol Rovers at theMemorial Stadium on 31 March 2009, and received praise for his composed performance.[citation needed] On 18 April, he scored his first goal in professional football, scoring the winner in Huddersfield's 3–2 win overWalsall at theBescot Stadium.[16]
Rafael Benítez suggested that the departure ofSami Hyypiä from Liverpool could open a window for Kelly into the first team, with his progress expected to be monitored closely in pre-season.[17] Kelly made his first competitive start for Liverpool as a right back againstLyon in the UEFA Champions League on 20 October 2009, in which he walked off injured in the 74th minute.[18] He was namedman of the match by Liverpool's official website.[19] He made his return from a groin injury on 25 February 2010, coming on as a substitute againstFC Unirea Urziceni in theUEFA Europa League.[20] He then made his Premier League debut replacingGlen Johnson in the 4–1 win overPortsmouth atAnfield.[citation needed]
Kelly made his first Premier League start of the season as an emergency replacement forSotirios Kyrgiakos on 7 November 2010 againstChelsea in a match which Liverpool won 2–0.[21] He subsequently started in theMerseyside derby on 16 January 2011, forcing Liverpool's first choice Glen Johnson to play left back.[citation needed] He won the Liverpoolfc.tv journalist's Man of the Match Award for his performance againstEverton.[22] Jamie Carragher complemented his talents by saying "I was in the stand against Everton and when he made that run pastLeighton Baines, I thought it was Thierry Henry against me all those years ago. It was turbo charged."[23]
On 20 August 2011, Kelly played for the whole match away toArsenal and helped Liverpool keep a clean sheet in a 2–0 victory.[24] He nearly scored in the second half, as his shot from 15 yards hit the outside of the post.[citation needed]England manager,Fabio Capello, was present at the match and applauded his performance.[25] On 29 November 2011, he scored a header against Chelsea as Liverpool won 2–0 atStamford Bridge, sending them through to the semi-finals of theLeague Cup.[26]
On 23 September 2012, he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament againstManchester United and was ruled out of action for approximately six months.[27] A year and three days later, he made his first competitive appearance since the injury, against the same opponents in the third round of the League Cup, replacingLucas Leiva midway through the second half in a 1–0 win for the hosts.[citation needed]Brendan Rodgers insisted that the latter would get his chance fully as current first-choice right-back, as Glen Johnson was out for a month.[28]
On 14 August 2014, Kelly joinedCrystal Palace on a three-year deal, moving for a reported fee of £2 million.[29][30] He totalled 34 matches (31 in the league) in his first season atSelhurst Park, as Palacefinished 10th.[31]
He scored his first goal for Palace, and first career goal since November 2011, on 21 February 2016, the only goal in the fifth round of the FA Cup againstTottenham Hotspur atWhite Hart Lane.[32] He was an unused substitute in thefinal on 21 May, a 2–1 loss toManchester United.[33]
In February 2019 he signed a new contract with the club, until 2021.[34] He was one of four players to sign a new contract on 21 August 2020.[35]
On May 2022, Crystal Palace announced that Kelly would leave the club on the expiry of his contract at the end of June.[36]
On 1 September 2022, Kelly signed forChampionship clubWest Bromwich Albion on a two-year contract.[37] On 5 October, Kelly made his first appearance for the Baggies in a 1-0 defeat toPreston North End.[38]
In January 2023, Kelly signed for fellow Championship clubWigan Athletic on loan until the end of the 2022–23 season.[39]
On 22 May 2024, West Brom announced that Kelly would be leaving the club in the summer when his contract expired.[40]
On 10 October 2025, Kelly announced his decision to retire from professional football aged 35, after having been without a club for over a year.[41]
Kelly was called up in early 2009 for theEngland U-19 squad that playedSpain U-19s on 10 February.[42][43] Kelly went on to make 5 appearances for the Under-19s with his last coming in a 2–1 win overScotland U-19s on 1 June 2009.[citation needed]
In August 2009, Kelly was called up to theEngland under-20 team for the match against Serbia and made his debut in the 5–0 victory.[citation needed] He subsequently played all three matches for the team in the Under-20 World Cup finals in Egypt that year.[citation needed] Kelly made his debut for the England under-20 team in a 5–0 win overMontenegro U-20s in a pre2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup friendly.[citation needed] He also played at the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Egypt as England finished bottom of Group D.[citation needed] Kelly made four appearances for the under-20 team.[citation needed]
On 5 August 2010, Kelly receive.his first call-up to theEngland Under-21 squad, along withAston Villa'sMarc Albrighton and future club teammateJordan Henderson.[citation needed] On 10 August 2010 he made his debut, coming on as a substitute and scoring England's second goal as they beat Uzbekistan atAshton Gate.[44] He scored again for England as they beatIceland 5–0 on 11 November 2011.[45] He scored his third under-21 goal in only his fifth appearance on 14 November away toBelgium.[46]
On 22 May 2012, Kelly received his first call-up to the senior England team, to faceNorway four days later in an international friendly. He was called up by managerRoy Hodgson despite not making hisUEFA Euro 2012 squad.[47] He made his debut as a substitute in the 87th minute, replacingPhil Jones at right back.[48] Having played two minutes and thirty-nine seconds, Kelly's international career is theshortest ever for an England player.[49] WhileNathaniel Chalobah came on in added time on his 2018 England debut and officially has zero minutes to his career, he played for one second more than Kelly when added time is included.[50]
On 3 June, Kelly was called up to the Euro 2012 squad to replaceGary Cahill, who had fractured his jaw during a 1–0 friendly win againstBelgium.[51] He suffered from a virus during the tournament in Ukraine and Poland.[52] He was not used during the championship, in which England reached the quarter-finals.[53]
Kelly was in Paris on 13 November 2015, a night when it washit by a series of terror attacks. After seeing hisInstagram post of a restaurant believed to have been attacked, members of the public became concerned for his safety. Crystal Palace confirmed via Twitter that he was safe and well, having returned to his hotel before the attacks began.[54]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Europe | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Liverpool | 2008–09[55] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2009–10[56] | Premier League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2[b] | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2010–11[57] | Premier League | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10[c] | 0 | 23 | 0 | |
| 2011–12[58] | Premier League | 12 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 1 | — | 20 | 1 | ||
| 2012–13[59] | Premier League | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3[c] | 0 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2013–14[60] | Premier League | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | ||
| Total | 33 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 16 | 0 | 62 | 1 | ||
| Huddersfield Town (loan) | 2008–09[55] | League One | 7 | 1 | — | — | — | 7 | 1 | |||
| Crystal Palace | 2014–15[31] | Premier League | 31 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 34 | 0 | |
| 2015–16[61] | Premier League | 13 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | 17 | 1 | ||
| 2016–17[62] | Premier League | 29 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 34 | 0 | ||
| 2017–18[63] | Premier League | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 19 | 0 | ||
| 2018–19[64] | Premier League | 13 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 20 | 0 | ||
| 2019–20[65] | Premier League | 19 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 21 | 0 | ||
| 2020–21[66] | Premier League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2021–22[67] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | ||
| Total | 121 | 0 | 14 | 1 | 13 | 0 | — | 148 | 1 | |||
| West Bromwich Albion | 2022–23[68] | Championship | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 7 | 0 | |
| Wigan Athletic (loan) | 2022–23[68] | Championship | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 167 | 1 | 22 | 1 | 20 | 1 | 16 | 0 | 225 | 3 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | 2012 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 1 | 0 | |
Liverpool
Crystal Palace
Individual
Twenty-four minutes is not even enough to make it into the top 20 for shortest England careers, a list still topped by Crystal Palace's Martin Kelly (two minutes 39 seconds against Norway when a Liverpool player in 2012).
[Chalobah] won his only cap to date as a stoppage time substitute in the 3-2 win over Spain in 2018, and so officially has zero minutes to his name. His actual playing time, however, was 6 minutes and 54 seconds, one second longer than Kelly managed in his sole England appearance, in 2012.
Too many defenders and you guarantee yourself passengers, as England did at Euro 2012, when Martin Kelly, Leighton Baines, Phil Jones and Phil Jagielka all failed to appear.
