Former Liverpool and England defender Martin Kelly announces retirement.

Martin Kelly announces retirement

According to The Sun: Former England player Martin Kelly has announced his retirement more than a year after his last professional match.

The 35-year-old ex-defender of Liverpool and Crystal Palace revealed that he officially left the sport back in March but had not made any public statements.

Kelly, who debuted for the 'Reds' as a teenager in a Champions League win against PSV in Eindhoven, spent over a decade in the Premier League, with 62 appearances for Liverpool and 148 for Crystal Palace.

In 2012, Kelly received his only call-up to the England national team: he came on as a substitute in a friendly match against Norway and was part of the squad for Euro in Poland and Ukraine.

His career was negatively impacted by injuries, including an anterior cruciate ligament tear. After a brief stint at West Bromwich and a loan at Wigan, he officially retired.

I never got around to posting on social media to announce this. I just told it to friends and family, but yes, I have retired, Kelly said in an interview with The Athletic.

In March, I sat down with my family and told them that I was thinking about it.

He also noted that an invitation to participate in a Legends match for Liverpool, where it was required that players be retired, confirmed his decision.

One of the conditions was that you had to be retired, so that just confirmed my decision, Kelly added.

Kelly, who was born in Whiston, spent 16 years at Liverpool, joining the academy at the age of just eight, and scored one goal in a League Cup match against Chelsea in 2011.

Liverpool also paid tribute to their former player, wishing him luck in the future.

Kelly, who last played for Wigan Athletic in 2023, plans to take part in a Liverpool Legends match this weekend when his team faces Chelsea Legends at Stamford Bridge.

The retirement of Martin Kelly is another example of how injuries can affect an athlete's career. His contributions to the teams he played for deserve recognition. Hopefully, in his new role as a veteran, he will find new opportunities and success.