Alby Kelly-Heald

Last updated
Alby Kelly-Heald
Personal information
Full name Albert Otto Kelly-Heald
Date of birth (2005-03-18) 18 March 2005 (age 20)
Place of birth Wellington, New Zealand
Height 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in)
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team
Wellington Phoenix
Number 30
Youth career
Island Bay United
North Wellington
Wellington Phoenix
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2022–2024 Wellington Phoenix B 50 (0)
2024– Wellington Phoenix 8 (0)
International career
2023– New Zealand U20 5 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 8 March 2025

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]

Kelly-Heald was called up for the under-23 team in the Oceanian qualifiers for the 2024 Olympic tournament. [10] Alex Paulsen played in goal as the team beat Fiji 9–0 in the final to make the tournament in France. [11]

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.
  10. Voerman, Andrew (25 August 2023). "'We need to qualify': Darren Bazeley ready for his biggest football role in two decades". The Post. Retrieved 28 February 2025.
  11. "New Zealand qualify for Paris Olympics with big win in qualifier final". Friends of Football. 9 September 2023. Retrieved 28 February 2025.