Liam_Kelly_(footballer,_born_1996)
Liam Kelly (footballer, born 1996)
Scottish footballer
Liam Patrick Kelly (born 23 January 1996) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Scottish Premiership club Motherwell and the Scotland national team. Kelly has previously played for Rangers, East Fife, Livingston and Queens Park Rangers.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Liam Patrick Kelly[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1996-01-23) 23 January 1996 (age 28) | ||
| Place of birth | Glasgow, Scotland | ||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.87 m)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Motherwell | ||
| Number | 1 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2006–2015 | Rangers | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2015–2018 | Rangers | 0 | (0) |
| 2016 | → East Fife (loan) | 16 | (0) |
| 2016–2017 | → Livingston (loan) | 34 | (0) |
| 2018–2019 | Livingston | 36 | (0) |
| 2019–2021 | Queens Park Rangers | 19 | (0) |
| 2021 | → Motherwell (loan) | 18 | (0) |
| 2021– | Motherwell | 107 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2011–2012 | Scotland U16[3] | 3 | (0) |
| 2012 | Scotland U17[3] | 5 | (0) |
| 2012–2015 | Scotland U19[3] | 11 | (0) |
| 2016 | Scotland U21[3] | 2 | (0) |
| 2023– | Scotland[3] | 1 | (0) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:29, 2 April 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 21:18, 17 October 2023 (UTC) | |||
Rangers
Kelly joined Rangers aged ten and played in the club's youth sides, notably scoring the final penalty during Rangers under-17s Glasgow Cup win in 2012.[4][5]
After training with the first-team for the majority of the 2014–15 season and featuring on the bench, Kelly signed a contract extension on 25 February 2015, until the summer of 2018.[6]
Loan moves
On 8 January 2016, Kelly joined East Fife in Scottish League Two on a six-month loan.[7] During his time at Bayview Stadium, Kelly played in 16 league matches and was part of the side which won the League Two title.[8] Upon returning to Rangers, Kelly travelled to the United States with the first team for a pre-season training camp.[9] However, on 15 July 2016, he was loaned out to the then Scottish League One team Livingston until January 2017.[10] He made his debut for Livi the next day in a League Cup match against St Mirren.[11]
Livingston
Kelly moved to Livingston, where he had previously been on loan, for an undisclosed fee in June 2018.[12] He played regularly for Livingston in the 2018–19 season, but then invoked a release clause in his contract.[13]
Queens Park Rangers
On 14 June 2019, Kelly signed for Queens Park Rangers for an undisclosed fee on a four-year contract.[14] He made his debut on 13 August 2019, in an EFL Cup match against Bristol City saving two penalties in a 5–4 penalty shootout win.
Motherwell (loan)
On 6 January 2021, Kelly moved on loan to Motherwell for the remainder of the season.[15]
Motherwell
On 5 July 2021, Kelly returned to Motherwell on a permanent transfer from Queens Park Rangers, signing a three-year contract.[16]
Kelly has represented Scotland at various age levels, up to an including the under-21 team.[3]
Kelly received his first call-up to the senior Scotland squad in March 2019 for games against Kazakhstan and San Marino.[17] After many call-ups to the squad, Kelly made his full international debut in a friendly against France on 17 October 2023.[18]
Kenny Miller, who played alongside Kelly at Rangers and was also his player-manager at Livi, said of him in 2018: "He's excellent with the ball at his feet. He's a proper modern-day goalkeeper".[19]
He is the brother of Livingston defender Sean Kelly.[20] In October 2023 the siblings faced each other from 12 yards in a Scottish Premiership fixture, with Sean scoring his penalty past Liam.[21]
- As of match played 28 May 2023[22]
| Club | Season | League | Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Rangers | 2015–16 | Scottish Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016–17 | Scottish Premiership | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2017–18 | Scottish Premiership | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| East Fife (loan) | 2015–16 | Scottish League Two | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| Livingston (loan) | 2016–17 | Scottish League One | 34 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 0 |
| Livingston | 2018–19 | Scottish Premiership | 36 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | 42 | 0 | |
| Queens Park Rangers | 2019–20 | Championship | 19 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 22 | 0 | |
| 2020–21 | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| Total | 19 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 0 | ||
| Motherwell (loan) | 2020–21 | Scottish Premiership | 18 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 21 | 0 | |
| Motherwell | 2021–22 | Scottish Premiership | 38 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | 46 | 0 | |
| 2022–23 | Scottish Premiership | 38 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 44 | 0 | |
| Total | 76 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 90 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 199 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 231 | 0 | ||
Club
- Rangers under-17
- Glasgow Cup: 2012[5]
- East Fife
- Livingston
- "Club list of registered players: Queens Park Rangers" (PDF). English Football League. p. 29. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 July 2023.
- "Player Profile: Goalkeeper Liam Kelly". Queens Park Rangers F.C. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
- "Goalkeeper Liam Kelly is the hero as Rangers colts triumph in Glasgow Cup penalty shoot-out". Evening Times. Glasgow: Herald & Times Group. 17 April 2012.
- Dickson, Andrew (16 April 2012). "Gers Win Glasgow Cup". Rangers.co.uk. Rangers Football Club. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
- "Kelly Delight At New Deal". Rangers.co.uk. Rangers Football Club. 25 February 2015. Archived from the original on 12 July 2015. Retrieved 16 July 2016.
- "Kelly Joins East Fife". Rangers.co.uk. Rangers Football Club. 8 January 2016.
- Macgregor, Archie (16 April 2016). "Clyde 0-0 East Fife: League 2 title joy for Fifers". The Scotsman. Edinburgh: Johnston Press.
- "Gers head to America". Rangers.co.uk. Rangers Football Club. 27 June 2016.
- Thomson, Nick (15 July 2016). "Kelly Moves On Loan". Rangers.co.uk. Rangers Football Club.
- McLauchlin, Brian (16 July 2016). "Livingston 2-3 St Mirren". BBC Sport. BBC.
- "Liam Kelly Joins Livingston". Rangers FC. 8 June 2018. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
- "Liam Kelly triggers Livingston release clause amid English Championship interest". BBC Sport. 4 June 2019. Retrieved 5 June 2019.
- "Liam Kelly: QPR sign goalkeeper from Livingston". BBC Sport. 14 June 2019. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
- "Liam Kelly signs on loan". motherwellfc.co.uk. 6 January 2021. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
- "LIAM KELLY RETURNS TO MOTHERWELL". motherwellfc.co.uk/. Motherwell F.C. 5 July 2021. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
- "Scotland: Andy Robertson to miss Kazakhstan clash as trio also pull out". BBC Sport. BBC. 17 March 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
- "France 4-1 Scotland: Star-studded hosts inflict heavy defeat on makeshift Scots". BBC Sport. 17 October 2023. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
- "Liam Kelly 'could lead next batch of Scotland goalkeepers' - Kenny Miller". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 4 October 2018. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
- Charlie Rhodes (25 November 2018). "Sean Kelly says Liam Kelly 'has the ability and mindset' to play for Rangers". Sports Lens.
- Motherwell kid Lennon Miller has wise head on his shoulders, red card won't affect him, says skipper, Andy McGilvray, Daily Record, 10 October 2023
- "L. Kelly". Soccerway. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
- "Livingston 2–1 Alloa Athletic". Livingston F.C. 8 April 2017. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
- Liam Kelly at Soccerbase
- Liam Kelly – UEFA competition record (archive)
