Defender eyes Euro tie

Thursday January 28, 2010

It is often said of footballers that football chose them. But not Stephen Kelly.

As a youngster the Irish international excelled at all sorts of sports - several of which could well have seen him representing his country.

"I played hurling and Gaelic," he says of his homeland's two indigenous national sports, "and I represented Dublin at a young age with Gaelic football and other stuff. But football was just in me and it kind of took over."

This rising passion for the beautiful game meant he picked football over the many other sports that he excelled at - something Fulham fans should be delighted about, as Kelly takes over at the right-back position made vacant by the knee injury that has sidelined John Pantsil until at least March.

"When anything clashed with football training that was it - it was put on the back burner," he says. "And that's what happened with all the other sports I took part in: swimming, Gaelic football, hurling. I took part in everything, and I just enjoyed it and loved it. But once it started to interfere with football, if the training times were the same, that was it. Football was always my first love."

He says that Dublin, and in particular the mostly working-class areas of north Dublin from which he hails, have a very special affection for football - as well as an excellent grass roots Sunday league system that has produced many quality players.

Kelly, a chatty 26-year-old with more than a little of a gift of the gab, arrived at Craven Cottage in the summer.

He was expected to slot straight in as a first team full back, but a combination of Pantsil's great form and boss Roy Hodgson's strategy of keeping separate teams for league and cups has meant he has seen little Premier League action.

Until now.

"It's been difficult up until now really; the chances have been limited. But to be honest, the way it's worked out I'm almost playing a game a week with the Europa League, but obviously it's not Premiership football, which is what you want to be playing.

"But fitness wise I've been playing every week in Europe - which is excellent for me, because I'm still getting games - and games at a very high standard."

It is a big change from his time at Birmingham, where he was an everpresent when fit. He concedes it has caused him some frustration.

"The season we were in the Premiership I think I was the only player not to miss a minute, so that was something that was a great achievement for myself," he adds.

"But that's football for you. You've got to wait for opportunities to come along and I think this opportunity was one I knew was going to come. Obviously it's terrible that Johnny got injured but he was supposed to be going to the African Nations so at this time of year I was expecting to be getting a run of games.

"I experienced that myself at Birmingham- I was playing, and last season I missed six months through injury. As I say, when you're injured it gives other people the opportunity to come in. It's just about getting yourself back fit and getting yourself back in the team."

Asked about next month's games against Shakhtar Donetsk Kelly says: "It's a huge tie - absolutely huge. They are last year's winners, and it's going to be difficult at home, but over there it's a very difficult place to go and get a result. But why not - we've done it in difficult situations so far this season. We've played well in very difficult grounds, and I don't see why we can't do it again against them."

Realistically, however, Kelly knows that if Fulham are to pull off a result against the Ukrainians they will need to have their best attacking players fit. And he is as disappointed as anyone that forwards Bobby Zamora and Clint Dempsey have been snatched from the team by injury.

"Both of them were hitting their top form in the season," he says of the period just before injury struck.

"Bobby was banging in goals, I think it was five or six, and Clint as well. Both of them were performing well. It's a blow to the team but it's something you've got to bounce back from."

But then he thinks back to his own position and to the strength and depth Hodgson has installed in the squad for just this sort of occasion.

"There are players waiting in the wings who are dying to get a chance to play," he adds. "Hopefully they can come in and make the sort of difference Bobby and Clint did."