Alby Kelly-Heald

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Albert Otto Kelly-Heald (born 18 March 2005) is a New Zealand footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for A-League Men club Wellington Phoenix.

Contents

Club career

Born in Wellington, Kelly-Heald played youth football for Island Bay United and North Wellington alongside his twin brother, defender Lukas. The brothers then joined the academy of Wellington Phoenix, with Alby becoming first-choice goalkeeper for the reserve team in the New Zealand National League. [1] [2]

In December 2023, Kelly-Heald signed a scholarship deal with the Phoenix until the end of the 2026–27 season, joining his brother in the first team. [3] He made his debut on 6 August in the last 32 of the Australia Cup, a 1–0 loss away to South Melbourne of the National Premier Leagues Victoria; his team had a record low starting average age of 20.8 due to the recent transfers of several players and others being at the Olympic tournament in France. [4]

Kelly-Heald signed a new contract in September 2024, making his existing deal fully professional. [5] On 15 January 2025, he made his A-League Men debut at home to Sydney FC, as manager Giancarlo Italiano had dropped Josh Oluwayemi for having made mistakes in the two previous matches. Kelly-Heald faced the league's leading goalscorer Joe Lolley, and made five saves in a goalless draw; he and his brother became the third set of twins to play in the A-League, and the first for the Phoenix. [2]

International career

Kelly-Heald played four of five games as the New Zealand under-19 team won the 2024 OFC U-19 Men's Championship. He did not concede a goal during the tournament in Samoa, which ended with a 4–0 final win over New Caledonia, and he was awarded the Golden Gloves for best goalkeeper. [6] [7] [8] [9]

References

  1. ↑ "Phoenix complete record deal for 18 year old defender". Radio New Zealand. 6 July 2023. Retrieved 8 February 2025.
  2. 1 2 Rollo, Phillip (15 January 2025). "Kelly-Heald twins create Wellington Phoenix history after sharing the pitch in the A-League Men". Stuff . Retrieved 8 February 2025.
  3. ↑ "Academy duo secure scholarship contracts". Wellington Phoenix FC. 19 December 2023. Retrieved 8 February 2025.
  4. ↑ Pisani, Sacha (7 August 2024). "All-time record broken as 17yo bursts onto the scene in stunning debut: What We Learned". A-Leagues. Retrieved 8 February 2025.
  5. ↑ "Young Nix full-back signs new long-term deal". Wellington Phoenix FC. 9 September 2024. Retrieved 8 February 2025.
  6. ↑ "New Zealand off to winning start at OFC U-19 Men's Championship in Samoa". Friends of Football. 6 July 2024. Retrieved 8 February 2025.
  7. ↑ Saltori, Rafael (15 July 2024). "New Zealand edges out Fiji to secure spot in FIFA U20 World Cup". Oceania Football Center. Retrieved 8 February 2025.
  8. ↑ Saltori, Rafael (18 July 2024). "New Zealand dominates New Caledonia to claim OFC U-19 Men's Championship Title". Oceania Football Center. Retrieved 8 February 2025.
  9. ↑ "PREVIEW: Phoenix include six academy players in Australia Cup squad". Friends of Football. 6 August 2024. Retrieved 8 February 2025.
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