Former Liverpool and Crystal Palace defender Martin Kelly recently accepted an exclusive interview and officially announced his retirement. He talked about the idea of retiring, interesting stories about training with Suarez, and future coaching...
Former Liverpool and Crystal Palace defender Martin Kelly recently accepted an exclusive interview and officially announced his retirement. He talked about the idea of retiring, interesting stories about training with Suarez, and future coaching plans.
Can you talk about the process of your decision to retire?
I actually haven’t had time to post an announcement on social media yet, I only told my friends and family, but yes, I have retired. It was around March that I sat down with my family and said I was thinking about it. Around the same time, I was asked to play for Liverpool Legends against Chelsea. One of the stipulations was that the contestants had to be retired players, so that reaffirmed my decision.
For so many years, I only have three or four weeks of vacation every year before going back for pre-season training. It feels great to be able to spend a long summer with my family this year. My girls are five and eight, so I really enjoy being around them as a dad; doing things that I couldn't do as a player, like taking them to and from school.
What are your plans after retirement?
I have obtained the UEFA B-level coaching certificate and am about to start studying for the A-level certificate. During my time at Salford City I helped out with some coaching and dabbled in a bit of media work while thinking about my next step.
I think I have the qualities to be a head coach, but as a coach, I'm still at the bottom. I'm ready to learn and I see this as a 30-year plan to give back to football in any role I can fulfill.
I heard that you still play football with former professional players every week?
Yes, James Chester (former Aston Villa player) got me into a group. We played every Tuesday night at a pitch near Manchester Airport and there were a lot of former Premier League players including Lescott, Bardsley, Drinkwater, Niasse, Papiss Cisse and Danny Simpson.
It was an 11-on-11 game on a seven-a-side court, so the venue was crowded, with usually five or six former professional players on each side. There is no referee, we play for an hour, and the loser pays the venue fee. You'd be surprised how little these ex-professional footballers want to shell out that £10.
Who is the best player you have ever played with?
When people ask me who the best player I have ever played with is by far Gerrard. I would compare him to someone like Zidane. Gerrard often carries Liverpool forward alone. He's incredible. It was surreal to be in the same dressing room with him.
Do you still remember your debut at Liverpool?
That was in December 2008, when we played against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League away game, and I came on as a substitute for Carragher. I remember thinking, “Don’t do anything stupid and let all this hard work go to waste.” I didn’t keep many jerseys from my career, but I kept that one.
What is it like to be teammates with Suarez? What special impression did he leave on you?
He did something I had never seen before. He'll play the full 90 minutes on Saturday and then train with us guys who haven't played on Sunday - he doesn't want to just do recovery training.
I practiced with him several times. We would have one-on-one training, in a penalty area with a goalkeeper, and whoever scored eight goals first would win. The training is very intense. What I have been taught since childhood is: Never back down. One time we were backing each other, and he laughed and said to me, "Kelly, you're crazy." I said, "Stop kicking me. Why do you keep kicking me?" He was always so competitive—that desire to win.
How do you feel at the end of your career and your final retirement?
The older players told me to keep playing as long as possible, but some of them are walking with a limp now! I miss football, but there comes a time when you have to accept that you have a whole life ahead of you. I want to continue playing sports into my fifties and sixties, so you have to take care of yourself.
The environment in the area where I grew up was very difficult and there were not many opportunities. I'm proud to have built a career at the highest level of football. I've played for two great clubs and I think the fans at Liverpool and Crystal Palace know that when I put on that shirt, I gave it my all.
