.jpg) Charlie Kelman in 2024 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Charlie Robert Martin Lee-Kelman[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (2001-11-02)November 2, 2001 (age 24)[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Basildon, England | ||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)[3] | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Charlton Athletic | ||
| Number | 23 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| FC Dallas | |||
| –2018 | Southend United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2018–2020 | Southend United | 31 | (6) |
| 2020–2025 | Queens Park Rangers | 23 | (0) |
| 2021 | →Gillingham (loan) | 5 | (0) |
| 2022 | →Gillingham (loan) | 18 | (2) |
| 2022–2023 | →Leyton Orient (loan) | 43 | (7) |
| 2024 | →Wigan Athletic (loan) | 14 | (3) |
| 2024–2025 | →Leyton Orient (loan) | 46 | (21) |
| 2025– | Charlton Athletic | 13 | (1) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2018 | United States U18 | 1 | (1) |
| 2019 | United States U20 | 19 | (7) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 17:10, November 1, 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 14:10, August 30, 2025 (UTC) | |||
Charlie Robert Martin Lee-Kelman (born November 2, 2001) is a professionalsoccer player who plays as aforward forEFL Championship clubCharlton Athletic. Born in England, he represented the United States at youth level.
Kelman scored 61 goals at youth level forSouthend United in the 2017–18 season.[4] He made his professional debut for Southend in aLeague One match againstPlymouth Argyle on January 12, 2019.[5] He also scored his first professional goal in that match, finding the net from inside his own half in the second minute of stoppage time at the end despite Southend United losing 3–2.[5] Kelman played in 10 games and scored one goal in his first full season as a professional with Southend.[6] In his second season playing for Southend's first team, Kelman played in 18 games and was Southend's leading scorer in League One with five goals.[6] In his last season with Southend, Kelman made two appearances inEFL League Two before transferring toQueens Park Rangers before the end of the summer transfer window.[6]
On October 14, 2020, Kelman joinedQueens Park Rangers on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee.[7]
Kelman appeared 26 times for QPR's first team, mainly coming on from the bench. He did however score a penalty in a 5–3 penalty shootout win overLeyton Orient in the first round of theEFL Cup.[8] Upon returning from his highly successful second loan spell at Leyton Orient Kelman informed QPR CEO Christian Nourry he did not want to extend his contract at the club leading to the club deciding to listen to offers for him[9]
On August 31, 2021, Kelman joinedGillingham on a season-long loan.[10] He returned however to his parent club in November due to frustrations about a lack of playing time.[11] On January 14, 2022, with previous managerSteve Evans having left the club, Kelman returned to Gillingham for the remainder of the season.[12]
On July 25, 2022, Kelman signed for League Two clubLeyton Orient on a season-long loan deal.[13]
On January 31, 2024, Kelman signed a contract extension with Queens Park Rangers, subsequently joining League One clubWigan Athletic on loan for the remainder of the season.[14]
On June 29, 2024, Kelman signed for League One clubLeyton Orient on a season-long loan deal.[15]
Having helped the club reach the play-offs, winning the League One Golden Boot with twenty-one goals, Kelman was namedEFL League One Player of the Month for April 2025.[16]
On July 27, 2025,Charlton Athletic made an offer which Queens Park Rangers accepted, leading to Kelman signing a four-year contract with the Addicks.[17]
Kelman is eligible to representEngland and theUnited States. He spent much of his youth inDallas, Texas, including time in the setup ofFC Dallas, before moving back to England.[18][19] He has represented the United States at theunder-18 andunder-20 levels.[20]
Kelman attendedThe Bromfords School inWickford alongside former Southend teammateMatt Rush.[21]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | EFL Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Southend United | 2018–19[22] | League One | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 11 | 1 |
| 2019–20[23] | League One | 18 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 7 | |
| 2020–21[24] | League Two | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 5 | 0 | |
| Total | 31 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 35 | 8 | ||
| Queens Park Rangers | 2020–21[24] | Championship | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 12 | 0 | |
| 2021–22[25] | Championship | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 3 | 0 | ||
| 2022–23[26] | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2023–24[27] | Championship | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 11 | 0 | ||
| 2024–25[28] | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | ||
| Total | 23 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 26 | 0 | |||
| Gillingham (loan) | 2021–22[25] | League One | 23 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3[a] | 0 | 26 | 2 |
| Leyton Orient (loan) | 2022–23[26] | League Two | 43 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2[a] | 0 | 47 | 7 |
| Wigan Athletic (loan) | 2023–24[27] | League One | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 14 | 3 | |
| Leyton Orient (loan) | 2024–25[28] | League One | 46 | 21 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 8[b] | 4 | 61 | 27 |
| Charlton Athletic | 2025–26[29] | Championship | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 15 | 1 | |
| Career total | 193 | 40 | 6 | 1 | 10 | 3 | 15 | 4 | 224 | 48 | ||
Leyton Orient
Individual
