Former Liverpool defender Martin Kelly has announced his retirement from professional football at the age of 35, bringing an end to a career defined by perseverance and passion.
Kelly joined Liverpool’s Academy at just eight years old and rose through the ranks to make 62 senior appearances for the Reds between 2008 and 2014.
The Whiston-born player enjoyed his best spell between 2010 and 2012, making 43 appearances and scoring his only goal for Liverpool in a 2–0 League Cup quarter-final victory over Chelsea. He was also part of the squad that lifted the trophy at Wembley in 2012, though he remained an unused substitute in the final.
His performances earned him a call-up to the England national team, where he made his sole senior appearance in May 2012 before joining the Three Lions’ Euro 2012 squad. However, a serious anterior cruciate ligament injury disrupted his progress, and he later left Liverpool to join Crystal Palace in 2014.
At Palace, Kelly became a reliable figure in defence, making 148 appearances over eight seasons before moving to West Bromwich Albion in 2022. A loan spell at Wigan Athletic was cut short after he suffered another major knee injury on his debut.
“I’ve never actually got around to writing the social media post to announce it; I’ve only told friends and family, but yeah, I’ve retired,” Kelly told The Athletic.
“It was March when I sat down with the family and told them I was thinking about it. Around the same time, I got asked to play for Liverpool in a legends game against Chelsea. One of the stipulations was that you had to be retired, so that just reaffirmed my decision.”
Kelly will return to the pitch one more time this weekend as he represents Liverpool FC Legends against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
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