Alan Kelly senior passes away
Alan Kelly senior – one of Irish football’s great – passed away yesterday aged 72. He did almost it all with the Republic of Ireland – collecting 47 caps, captaining his country and also briefly managing the national side.
Starting at Bray Wanderers before moving onto Drumcondra and Preston North End, Alan Kelly senior’s international career lasted 17 years. He would go on to serve as caretaker manager of Ireland in 1980 – a role he also held at Preston before a full-time run at the club in the mid 80’s.
Later in life he moved to the United States where he also had a role as goalkeeping coach at Major League Soccer side DC United – having previously helped develop goalkeeping talents in his own schools in the Washington DC area.
Two of Kelly’s sons also became goalkeepers. His eldest son Gary played at a high level in England while Alan junior is the current international goalkeeping coach after a lengthy distinguished career which also included 34 senior international caps.
Paying tribute to the legend, FAI chief executive John Delaney said “Alan Kelly senior will be sadly missed by everyone here in the FAI and by all followers of Irish football. He was a stalwart of the Irish team during the 1960s and will always be remembered as one of our greatest ever goalkeepers, a man who wore the Irish jersey with pride and always served his country with distinction.”
FAI President David Blood said, “Alan Kelly senior was a former record caps holder and a great servant to Irish football. He started his playing career in the League of Ireland before moving to Preston North End where he made a club record 514 appearances and became a legend at Deepdale where the Town End was named in his honour in 2001. With the passing of Alan Kelly senior, we have lost one of Ireland’s greatest ever goalkeepers.”
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