Liam Kelly, a son of Scotland, born on the 23rd of January 1996 and seen forcibly guarding Rangers' goal, towers over most of us mere mortals at 6ft 2in (1.89m) and weighs in at a sturdy 12st 12lb (82kg). He has been given the honour (or perhaps the misfortune) of donning the number 31 jersey and has even ventured into representing the Scotland national team. A path less travelled by some, let's say.
One fine day in July 2004, Kelly found himself drawn into the tumultuous world of the Scottish Premiership by joining Rangers – no mean feat for a lad his age. Fast forward to the current season of 2024 - 2025, and he’s made a grand total of six first team appearances in league matches for Rangers. A dizzying number indeed.
However, seemingly tired of the Premiership limelight, Kelly was then shipped off to East Fife (a League Two club – in case you’d forgotten they existed) on a scenic loan deal in January 2016. His stint in the low-lying lands ended with 16 first team appearances, before his inevitable return to Rangers.
No sooner had he caught his breath, Kelly was on the move again in July 2016, this time to Livingston in the Championship, on (you guessed it) another loan. Here, our globetrotter Kelly clocked up a total of 70 first team appearances over two separate seasons before his reluctant return to Rangers.
In a turn of events that surprised absolutely no one, he then transferred from Rangers back to Livingston in July 2018, this time for an undisclosed fee. No doubt those Livingston fans were thrilled to see his return, given his prior 70 appearances on loan spell with them.
But wait! The plot thickens. In July 2019, Kelly was whisked away from Livingston to the slightly sunnier pastures of Queens Park Rangers in the Championship in England (again for an undisclosed fee). After a brief flirtation with the English leagues (19 first team appearances), he was catapulted back to Scotland, on loan to Motherwell, in January 2021.
Motherwell must have tickled his fancy, given that he went on to not only extend his borrowed time but to make the move permanent in July 2021. Over four seasons at Motherwell, he became quite the familiar face with his startling grand total of 132 first team appearances. A die-hard stalwart, or a glutton for punishment? You decide.
But alas, all good things must come to an end, and in July 2024 Kelly found himself yanked back to Rangers once more, where (in keeping with his previous form) he's made six first team appearances in the current season. To top it all off, he's had one start in the Scottish Cup 2024 - 2025.
In a nutshell, Liam Kelly’s football career: a bit like a soap opera, but with less believable characters.
