Josh Kelly (footballer, born 1998)

Last updated

Josh Kelly
Josh Kelly 12072025 (1).jpg
Josh Kelly in 2025.
Personal information
Full name Joshua Anthony Kelly [1]
Date of birth (1998-12-19) 19 December 1998 (age 26)
Place of birth Windsor, England [2]
Height 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) [3]
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
Woking
(on loan from AFC Wimbledon)
Number 21
Youth career
–2014 Ascot United
2014–2015 Windsor
2015–2017 Maidenhead United
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2015 Windsor 4 (0)
2016–2022 Maidenhead United 128 (26)
2017Chalfont St Peter (loan) 4 (0)
2017–2018Walton Casuals (loan) 40 (28)
2022–2024 Solihull Moors 72 (24)
2024– AFC Wimbledon 57 (4)
2025–Woking (loan) 4 (0)
International career
2019 Northern Ireland U21 2 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 19:29, 21 September 2025 (UTC)

Joshua Anthony Kelly (born 19 December 1998) is a professional footballer who plays as a forward for Woking on loan from EFL League One club AFC Wimbledon.

Contents

Career

Windsor

Kelly started his career in the youth team at Ascot United before joining Windsor in 2014 aged 15. He made his first team debut as a 16-year-old in February 2015. [4]

Maidenhead United

In summer 2015, Kelly joined the under-18 team at Maidenhead United and made his first team debut in October 2016. After two loan spell away from the club, Kelly returned to Maidenhead in summer 2018 and began to feature much more frequently in the first team across the next two seasons. He initially left the club at the end of the 2019-20 season with the intention of joining an English Football League club, but no move materialised and he returned to the Magpies ahead of the new campaign. [5] [6] In the 2021–22 season he reached double figures in a National League season for the first time and won the golden boot, manager's player, and players' player awards at the end of the season. [7]

Kelly went on loan to Chalfont St Peter during the 2016–17 season.

In 2017–18, Kelly spent the entire season on loan at Walton Casuals, where he was the club's top scorer with 39 goals.

Solihull Moors

On 22 July 2022, Kelly signed a three-year deal at Solihull Moors, joining for an undisclosed fee. [8] He scored 25 goals in 79 games in all competitions for the Moors.

AFC Wimbledon

On 1 February 2024, Kelly signed for League Two club AFC Wimbledon for an undisclosed fee, signing a two-and-a-half-year deal with the option for a third. [9] He scored his first goals for Wimbledon when he scored twice in a 3–2 loss at Tranmere Rovers on 20 April 2024. [10]

On 1 September 2025, Kelly joined National League side, Woking on loan for the remainder of the 2025–26 campaign. [11]

International career

In March 2019, Kelly was called up to the Northern Ireland U21 squad for two friendly matches in Marbella, playing in matches against Bulgaria U21 and Mexico U21. [12] The Irish Football Association were not sure of Kelly's eligibility when these matches were played, and it later transpired that he was not eligible to play for Northern Ireland. [13]

Career statistics

As of matches played 20 September 2025
ClubSeasonLeague FA Cup EFL Cup OtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Windsor 2014–15 [4] CCL Premier Division40002 [a] 060
Maidenhead United 2016–17 [14] National League South 10002 [b] 131
2018–19 [15] National League 396302 [c] 0446
2019–20 [15] National League294321 [d] 1337
2020–21 [15] National League2011000211
2021–22 [15] National League391522004117
Total12826945214232
Chalfont St Peter (loan) 2016–17 [14] SFL Division One Central40002 [e] 060
Walton Casuals (loan) 2017–18 [16] Isthmian League Division One South4028219 [f] 105139
Solihull Moors 2022–23 [15] National League4511302 [g] 05011
2023–24 [15] National League2713101 [h] 12914
Total722440317925
AFC Wimbledon 2023–24 [15] League Two 172000000172
2024–25 [15] League Two392202170503
2025–26 [15] League One 1000200030
Total574204170705
Woking (loan) 2025–26 [15] National League40001 [i] 151
Career total30982175412914358102
  1. One appearance in CCL Premier Cup, one appearance in Berks & Bucks Senior Cup.
  2. Two appearances and one goal in Berks & Bucks Senior Cup.
  3. One appearance in FA Trophy, one appearance in Berks & Bucks Senior Cup.
  4. Appearance(s) in FA Trophy.
  5. Two appearances in Southern Football League Cup.
  6. Two appearances and one goal in FA Trophy, three appearances and three goals in Alan Turvey Trophy, one appearance and five goals in Southern Combination Challenge Cup, one appearance in Surrey Senior Cup, two appearances and one goal in Isthmian League Division One South play-offs.
  7. Two appearances FA Trophy.
  8. One appearance and one goal FA Trophy.
  9. One appearance and one goal in National League Cup

Honours

AFC Wimbledon

References

  1. "The Football Association - List of Players under Written Contract Registered Between 01/08/2015 and 31/08/2015". Archived from the original on 24 October 2019.
  2. "'I've tried so many times to score one like it' – Josh Kelly". 5 May 2020.
  3. "Josh Kely - ESPN". 5 May 2020.
  4. 1 2 "Josh Kelly – Windsor FC". Archived from the original on 29 June 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  5. "Kelly feels time is right for a new challenge and hopes he can fulfill his potential". Maidenhead Advertiser. 10 July 2020.
  6. "Josh Kelly ready to 'push on' after penning new deal with Magpies". Maidenhead Advertiser. 12 August 2020.
  7. "Kelly very nearly cleans up at Maidenhead United's end of season awards". Maidenhead Advertiser. 19 May 2022.
  8. "Moors clinch Josh Kelly signing". Solihull Moors FC. 22 July 2022.
  9. "Kelly complete! In-form striker signs". afcwimbledon.co.uk. 1 February 2024. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  10. "Tranmere 3-2 Wimbledon". BBC. 20 April 2024. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  11. "Josh Kelly joins". www.wokingfc.co.uk. 1 September 2025. Retrieved 1 September 2025.
  12. International Duty Recap
  13. Rob Davies (9 March 2022). "Yash in at Thatcham, the Women's Pyramid and the nationality of Josh Kelly". Audioboom (Podcast). Berkshire Football Stories. Event occurs at 27:58. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  14. 1 2 "Josh Kelly Profile | Aylesbury United FC".
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Northern Ireland - J. Kelly - Profile with news, career statistics and history - Soccerway".
  16. Josh Kelly - Football Web Pages
  17. "AFC Wimbledon 1–0 Walsall: Line-ups". BBC Sport. 26 May 2025. Retrieved 26 May 2025.