Crawley Town sign midfielder Liam Kelly
Crawley Town has secured the services of experienced midfielder Liam Kelly on a two-year contract.
Kelly, 27, joins Crawley Town following a period at Rochdale, where he clocked over 70 appearances.
Kelly initially carved out his football journey at Reading. Joining the Royals at just eight years old, Kelly ascended through the youth ranks to sign his first professional contract in 2013.
He made nearly 100 appearances for Reading before moving to Feyenoord in Holland, joining forces again with his former manager Jaap Stam.
Kelly's stint at Feyenoord included two loan spells at Oxford United, where he contributed to the club's playoff appearances on both occasions.
Speaking on his move, Kelly expressed his satisfaction, stating, “I’m really delighted, it is great to have it done before pre-season. The gaffer was a massive part in my decision to come here.”
Crawley Town Manager, Scott Lindsey, reciprocated Kelly's enthusiasm about the signing, declaring, “This is a great signing for the football club. Liam is a very good footballer with great pedigree. I am very happy to have him on board.”
Lindsey further added, "He can knit things together well and is a lovely passer of the ball," indicating Kelly's potential in strengthening Crawley's midfield.
In terms of international duty, Kelly's tenure with the Republic of Ireland kicked off with his under-19 debut against Slovenia in September 2013, followed by his under-21 debut in November 2014. Although he received his first senior call-up in March 2017, he turned down a subsequent call-up a year later due to personal reasons.
