Fiacre Kelleher

Fiacre Kelleher

Kelleher playing for Bradford City in 2021
Personal information
Full name	Fiacre Blane Kelleher [1]
Date of birth	(1996-03-10) 10 March 1996 (age 28)
Place of birth	Cork, Ireland
Height	1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) [2]
Position(s)	Central defender
Team information
Current team	Colchester United
Number	4
Youth career
	Avondale
2012–2016	Celtic
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2016–2017	Celtic	0	(0)
2016–2017	→ Peterhead (loan)	19	(3)
2017–2019	Oxford United	0	(0)
2017–2018	→ Solihull Moors (loan)	38	(2)
2018–2019	→ Macclesfield Town (loan)	42	(1)
2019–2020	Macclesfield Town	36	(1)
2020–2021	Wrexham	42	(1)
2021–2023	Bradford City	9	(0)
2022–2023	→ Solihull Moors (loan)	18	(1)
2023–	Colchester United	35	(3)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20:23, 20 October 2024 (UTC)

Fiacre Blane Kelleher (born 10 March 1996) is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a defender for EFL League Two club Colchester United.

Early and personal life

Born in Cork, ^[2] Kelleher is from Blackrock. ^[3] He has three older brothers who played hurling, as did he. ^{[3] [4]} He is the older brother of Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher. ^[5]

Club career

Early career

Kelleher began his career with local Cork club Avondale, before signing for Scottish club Celtic in 2012. ^[3] He moved on loan to Peterhead in July 2016. ^[6]

He signed for English club Oxford United in June 2017. ^[7] He moved on loan to Solihull Moors in August 2017, ^[8] extending the deal in January 2018 until the end of the season. ^[9]

Macclesfield Town

He joined Macclesfield Town on loan in June 2018. ^[10] Kelleher made his professional debut on the first day of the 2018–19 season, starting the game against Swindon Town. ^[2] He scored his first goal for club in an EFL Cup draw with Bradford City in August, and his first league goal in a 3–3 draw with Newport County at the beginning of October. ^[11] After being released by Oxford at the end of the season, ^[12] he returned to Macclesfield and was named captain of the side for the 2019–20 season. ^[13]

Wrexham

On 12 September 2020, Kelleher signed for National League side Wrexham. ^[14]

Kelleher was released by Wrexham on 2 June 2021. ^[15]

Bradford City

On 29 June 2021 it was announced that he had signed a two-year contract with Bradford City. ^{[16] [17]} He later said that he was "excited" to train with his new teammates. ^[18] He entered the starting line-up after an injury to captain Niall Canavan, ^[19] later saying that the club's dip in form was not enjoyable. ^[20]

In April 2022 he said was "gobsmacked" that the club had hired Mark Hughes as manager. ^[21]

He moved on loan to Solihull Moors in July 2022, for the entire season. ^[22] He was recalled by Bradford City in January 2023, with a view to making a permanent transfer elsewhere. ^[23]

Colchester United

The next day, he signed for Colchester United for an undisclosed fee. ^{[24] [25]} He had said that his time at Bradford had "not worked out", having made 11 appearances for the club. ^[26] After signing for Colchester he became "in the heart of the defence". ^[27]

International career

Kelleher has represented Ireland at under-19 level. ^[28]

Career statistics

As of match played 19 October 2024 ^[2]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			National Cup		League Cup		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Celtic	2016–17	Scottish Premiership	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Peterhead (loan)	2016–17	Scottish League One	19	3	1	0	3	0	2 [a]	0	25	3
Oxford United	2017–18	League One	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	2018–19	League One	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	Total		19	3	1	0	3	0	2	0	25	3
Solihull Moors (loan)	2017–18	National League	38	2	2	0	0	0	2 [b]	0	42	2
	2022–23	National League	18	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	20	1
	Total		56	3	4	0	0	0	2	0	62	3
Macclesfield Town (loan)	2018–19	League Two	42	1	1	0	3	1	2 [c]	0	48	2
Macclesfield Town	2019–20	League Two	36	1	0	0	2	0	1 [c]	0	39	1
Wrexham	2020–21	National League	42	1	1	0	–		0	0	43	1
Bradford City	2021–22	League Two	9	0	1	0	0	0	2 [c]	0	12	0
	Total		129	3	3	0	5	1	5	0	142	4
Colchester United	2022–23	League Two	20	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	20	2
	2023–24	League Two	11	1	0	0	0	0	2	0	13	1
	2024–25	League Two	4	0	0	0	1	0	2	1	7	1
	Total		35	3	0	0	1	0	4	1	40	4
Career total			239	12	8	0	9	1	13	1	269	14

1. Appearances in Scottish Challenge Cup
2. Appearances in FA Trophy
3. Appearance(s) in EFL Trophy

References

1. "Notification of shirt numbers" (PDF). English Football League. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
2. Fiacre Kelleher at Soccerway. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
3. "Getting to know Fiacre Kelleher". Celtic F.C. 15 November 2015. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
4. ""When Paudie and I are in full flow, not many people can understand what we're saying!"". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. 27 May 2022.
5. Nash, Mathew (2015). "Liverpool complete signing of Celtic top talent Fiacre Kelleher's younger brother Caoimhin". HITC. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
6. "Fiacre Kelleher joins Peterhead on loan". Celtic FC. 25 July 2016. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
7. "Oxford United: Celtic defender Fiacre Kelleher joins on two-year deal". BBC Sport. 19 June 2017. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
8. "Fiacre Kelleher: Solihull Moors sign defender on loan from Oxford United". BBC Sport. 3 August 2017. Retrieved 10 August 2017.
9. "Fiacre Kelleher extends his loan at Solihull Moors". Solihull Moors FC. 2 January 2018. Retrieved 30 April 2018.^{[ dead link ]}
10. "Macclesfield Town: Oxford United defender Fiacre Kelleher joins on loan". BBC Sport. 29 June 2018. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
11. Fiacre Kelleher at Soccerbase
12. David Pritchard (10 May 2019). "Karl Robinson looks to future after 'clearing the decks' at Oxford United". Oxford Mail. Newsquest Media Group.
13. "Kelleher Named Silkmen Captain". Macclesfield Town FC. 2 August 2019. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
14. "Fiacre Kelleher signs a one-year deal at Wrexham AFC". Wrexham AFC. 12 September 2020. Archived from the original on 21 September 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
15. "Wrexham AFC announce 2021 retained list". Wrexham AFC. 2 June 2021. Archived from the original on 3 June 2021. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
16. "Defender Kelleher becomes Bradford City's seventh signing". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. 29 June 2021.
17. "Bradford sign Wrexham defender Kelleher". BBC Sport.
18. "Why Kelleher loves sharing the strain of Bradford City's pre-season". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. 12 July 2021.
19. "Kelleher cannot wait to see Valley Parade in full cry". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. 16 September 2021.
20. ""I'm at a big club where I get lunch and breakfast. That didn't happen at Macclesfield"". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. October 2021.
21. "Kelleher talks up Hughes effect as City plot summer rebuild". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. 29 April 2022.
22. "Kelleher leaves Valley Parade for non-league loan spell". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. 12 July 2022.
23. "Defender Kelleher poised for permanent exit from Bradford City". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. 3 January 2023.
24. "City defender Kelleher leaves Valley Parade to sign for League Two rivals". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. 4 January 2023.
25. "Colchester sign Bradford defender Kelleher". BBC Sport.
26. "Bantams move didn't work out for me, admits Colchester new boy Kelleher". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. 6 January 2023.
27. "BANTAMS OPPOSITION: Kelleher looking forward to swift Valley Parade return". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. 3 March 2023.
28. "Cork native secures move to League One side after five years at Celtic". The42.ie. Journal Media. 19 June 2017. Retrieved 19 August 2019.