Mark Kelly (footballer, born 1969)
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Mark Kelly | ||
| Date of birth | 27 November 1969 | ||
| Place of birth | Basingstoke, England | ||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Playing position | Winger | ||
| Club information | |||
Current team |
Portsmouth (academy manager) | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1987–1993 | Portsmouth[1] | 49 | (2) |
| 1996–1997 | Sligo Rovers | ? | (?) |
| 1997–1998 | Farnborough Town | 1 | (0) |
| 2000–2001 | Finn Harps | 9 | (0) |
| National team | |||
| 1988–1989 | Republic of Ireland | 4 | (0) |
| 1989–1990 | Republic of Ireland U23 | 2 | (0) |
| 1989–1990 | Republic of Ireland U21 | 3 | (0) |
| 1987 | Republic of Ireland U19 | 1 | (1) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2014– | Portsmouth Academy | ||
|
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. | |||
Mark Kelly (born 27 November 1969 in Basingstoke) is a former professional footballer who played for Portsmouth and also won four caps for the Republic of Ireland.
Club career
Portsmouth manager Alan Ball described the 18-year-old Kelly as "the next George Best" but despite some exciting performances a series of injuries prevented him from becoming fully established in the first team. He made his debut for Portsmouth away to Manchester United in May 1988.
He never recovered from a serious knee injury sustained in 1991 and was forced to retire a year later, after a brief trial at Tottenham Hotspur in a bid to resurrect his career. Later he played part time for Sligo Rovers and Farnborough Town.
International career
Although born in Basingstoke, Mark played for the Republic of Ireland through the parentage rule after being recommended to manager Jack Charlton. His first cap came on 27 April 1988 in a 2-0 friendly win over Yugoslavia at Lansdowne Road . He won his first cap a month before he made his full debut at club level.[2]
Coaching
Kelly worked as head of youth development at his former club, Portsmouth before leaving the club in October 2009.[3] He eventually returned to Pompey on 18 June 2014, being appointed Academy manager.[4]
Media work
Kelly joined BBC Radio Solent at the start of the 2011/12 season as their match summariser for live commentaries on Portsmouth matches.[2]
References
- ↑ "PORTSMOUTH : 1946/47 - 2008/09". Post War English & Scottish Football League A - Z Player's Database. Retrieved 21 March 2010.
- 1 2 Kelly is Solent's New Voice of Pompey, Portsmouth FC
- ↑ Portsmouth axe eight youth coaches - including Chamberlain; TribalFootball, 24 October 2009
- ↑ Kelly appointed Academy manager; Portsmouth FC, 18 June 2014
External links
- Mark Kelly SoccerScene.ie