![]() Kelly-Heald playing for the Wellington Phoenix in 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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Full name | Lukas Eric Kelly-Heald [1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Date of birth | [1] | 18 March 2005||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Wellington, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) [1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Position(s) | Defender | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | Wellington Phoenix | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Number | 18 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Island Bay United | |||||||||||||||||||||||
North Wellington AFC | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Lower Hutt City AFC | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||
2021 | Lower Hutt City AFC | 1 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
2021– | Wellington Phoenix Reserves | 36 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
2023– | Wellington Phoenix | 33 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||||||||
2022– | New Zealand U-20 | 10 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
2023– | New Zealand U-23 | 6 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
2024– | New Zealand | 3 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 19 March 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 6 October 2025 |
Lukas Eric Kelly-Heald (born 18 March 2005) is a New Zealand professional footballer who plays as a centre-back or left-back for Wellington Phoenix. [2] [3] [4]
His twin brother Alby Kelly-Heald, a goalkeeper, played for the same youth clubs and the Phoenix academy. In January 2025, they became the third pair of twins to play together in the A-League Men, and the first for the Phoenix. [5]
In July 2023, the Wellington Phoenix signed Kelly-Heald to a four-year professional contract. [6] He made his club debut on 4 August 2023 against Peninsula Power FC in the Australia Cup. [7]
Kelly-Heald made his A-League Men debut for the Phoenix on the opening matchday of the 2023–24 season in a 0–0 draw away to Western Sydney Wanderers.
Kelly-Heald was named as part of the 21-player New Zealand U-20 squad for the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup taking place in Chile from September to October 2025. [8]