| Liam Kelly | |
| Fullname: | Liam Anthony Kelly[1] |
| Birth Date: | 22 November 1995 |
| Birth Place: | Basingstoke, England |
| Height: | 1.78m (05.84feet) |
| Position: | Midfielder |
| Currentclub: | Milton Keynes Dons |
| Clubnumber: | 10 |
| Youthyears1: | 2004–2013 |
| Youthclubs1: | Reading |
| Years1: | 2013–2019 |
| Clubs1: | Reading |
| Caps1: | 82 |
| Goals1: | 7 |
| Years2: | 2016 |
| Clubs2: | → Bath City (loan) |
| Caps2: | 16 |
| Goals2: | 6 |
| Years3: | 2019–2021 |
| Clubs3: | Feyenoord |
| Caps3: | 1 |
| Goals3: | 0 |
| Years4: | 2020–2021 |
| Clubs4: | → Oxford United (loan) |
| Caps4: | 29 |
| Goals4: | 0 |
| Years5: | 2021–2023 |
| Clubs5: | Rochdale |
| Caps5: | 63 |
| Goals5: | 6 |
| Years6: | 2023–2024 |
| Clubs6: | Crawley Town |
| Caps6: | 37 |
| Goals6: | 4 |
| Years7: | 2024– |
| Clubs7: | Milton Keynes Dons |
| Caps7: | 12 |
| Goals7: | 1 |
| Nationalyears1: | 2013–2014 |
| Nationalteam1: | Republic of Ireland U19 |
| Nationalcaps1: | 4 |
| Nationalgoals1: | 1 |
| Nationalyears2: | 2014 |
| Nationalteam2: | Republic of Ireland U21 |
| Nationalcaps2: | 1 |
| Nationalgoals2: | 0 |
| Club-Update: | 18:15, 19 October 2024 (UTC) |
Liam Anthony Kelly (born 22 November 1995) is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for EFL League Two club Milton Keynes Dons. He has represented the Republic of Ireland internationally at youth levels U19 and U21.
In November 2013, Kelly signed his first professional contract with Reading,[2] In May 2016, Kelly signed a two-year contract with Reading.[3] On 12 February 2016, Kelly joined Bath City on an initial one-month loan,[4] extending it for another month on 11 March,[5] before extending it till the end of the season 10 April 2016.[6] Kelly made his debut for Reading on 23 August 2016 at home to Milton Keynes Dons in the EFL Cup, coming on for George Evans,[7] with his league debut coming on 22 October 2016 away to Rotherham United.
On 30 December, Kelly signed a new contract, keeping him at Reading until the summer of 2019.[8]
He scored his first goal for Reading in a 3–2 win against Bristol City on 2 January 2017.[9]
Kelly extended his Reading contract on 6 July 2017, signing a new three-year deal.[10]
On 8 July 2019, Kelly signed for Feyenoord on a three-year contract for an undisclosed fee.[11] [12]
Oxford United signed Kelly on a loan deal until the end of the 2019–20 season on 8 January 2020.[13] On 21 August 2020, Kelly's loan at the club was extended for another season.[14]
On 24 August 2021, Kelly signed a two-year contract with Rochdale.[15]
On 22 June 2023, Crawley Town announced the signing of Kelly on a two-year contract.[16]
On 19 May 2024, Kelly scored the second goal, against Crewe Alexandra, in the 2024 League Two play-off final at Wembley Stadium as Crawley won 2–0 to gain promotion to League One.[17]
On 4 July 2024, Kelly joined League Two club Milton Keynes Dons for an undisclosed fee.[18] He made his debut for the club on 10 August 2024 in a 1–2 home defeat to Bradford City.[19] Kelly scored his first goal for the club on 19 October 2024, a long-range effort in a 3–1 away win over Morecambe.[20]
Kelly made his Republic of Ireland under-19 debut against Slovenia under-19 in September 2013.[21] Whilst playing for the Republic of Ireland U19's against Sweden under-19, Kelly scored a wonder goal from the halfway line.[22] Kelly made his Republic of Ireland under-21 debut against United States under-20 in November 2014.[21]
Kelly received his first call-up for the Republic of Ireland on 13 March 2017, being named in the 39-man provisional squad for the games against Wales and Iceland.[23]
Kelly rejected a call-up to the Republic of Ireland senior squad in March 2018, for personal reasons.[24]
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Reading | 2013–14 | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2014–15 | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 2015–16 | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 2016–17 | Championship | 28 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 34 | 1 | |||
| 2017–18 | Championship | 34 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | — | — | 38 | 7 | ||||
| 2018–19 | Championship | 20 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 22 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 82 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 2 | — | 2 | 0 | 94 | 9 | ||||
| Bath City (loan) | 2015–16 | National League South | 16 | 6 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 16 | 6 | ||||
| Feyenoord | 2019–20 | Eredivisie | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | |||
| 2020–21 | Eredivisie | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 2021–22 | Eredivisie | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | |||||
| Oxford United (loan) | 2019–20 | League One | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | ||
| 2020–21 | League One | 26 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | 34 | 0 | |||
| Total | 29 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | 39 | 1 | ||||
| Rochdale | 2021–22 | League Two | 30 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 2 | 1 | 36 | 6 | ||
| 2022–23 | League Two | 33 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | 38 | 1 | |||
| Total | 63 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | 74 | 6 | ||||
| Crawley Town | 2023–24 | League Two | 37 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 6 | 2 | 45 | 6 | ||
| Milton Keynes Dons | 2024–25 | League Two | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 11 | 1 | ||
| Career total | 238 | 20 | 11 | 1 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 3 | 281 | 30 | |||
Crawley Town