A look back at the career of Drogheda’s most celebrated footballer Gary Kelly

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Cornerflag Credit: Gerry Shanahan (ETPhotos)

Before the days of Brexit, most young Irish talented footballers didn’t get a chance to play locally as they had already signed for one of England’s top clubs before they could make a professional appearance in the League of Ireland.

These days, of course, that bridge to a team ‘across the water’ is no longer there, but back 30 years ago, if you were a stand-out find, you invariably left home to pursue a career in your formative years.

That, at least, was the case for Gary Kelly, who left Drogheda to play for Leeds United in early 1991. It was during the same season that Kelly was serving his time as an apprentice that Leeds would win the first division, now known as the Premier League. 

Of course, the latest Premier League winner odds some thirty years on make for vastly different reading with Man City the leading favourites, with odds of 1/10, to claim the title these days. Meanwhile, Leeds United are 500/1 for a top-four finish, despite a very promising and talented side.

In some ways, this goes to show how much has changed since Kelly left Leeds in the mid-2000s and how much the club has fallen off the pace in terms of being genuine candidates to win the league. 

During Kelly’s time at Leeds, though, the club were perennial challengers for the title and regular contenders in Europe.

Indeed, the Irishman was part of the famous Leeds squad that made it to the Champions League semi-finals in May 2001 only to lose to Valencia on a night at the Mestalla that would, in effect, set Leeds on course for financial ruin. 

Few were to know the extent of how badly things would go wrong at the time, but for those players that made a city dream of the impossible during those thrilling early spring nights some 21 years ago, their contribution will never be forgotten.

In fact, whenever people look back on that side that captured the attention of the entire world, Kelly is especially reveredfor the part he played both on and off the field as his leadership helped Leeds summit peaks that few imagined to be possible.



That positive influence was of course a constant theme during his time long stay in West Yorkshire.

All in all, the right-back would make over 500 appearances for Leeds before retiring in 2007. The time then came to head back to Ireland after all those years and settle in his native country after a long and illustrious career. 

Yes, Kelly may have left Drogheda and spent his entire career in Leeds, but the 47-year-old never forgot his roots. Indeed, following his testimonial game at Elland Road, the former right-back donated the funds raised during the match to a local charity in Drogheda, the figure was said to be €250,000.  

Kelly was certainly one of a kind and proved that time and time again, whether he was excelling on the pitch with Leeds or doing charity work off it to help those in need. There can be little doubt that the 47-year-old was Drogheda’s most celebrated footballer.



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