Martin Kelly: All The Right Moves In All The Wrong Places

At the heart of every iconic moment in the history of Liverpool Football Club, there are those who stand out.  Fom Billy Liddell to Steven Gerrard and beyond, we exalt their exploits as if they are the stuff of legend.  Despite our support and favouritism, the truly great are very few in number.  We are lucky in that some of the great exponents of this simple game have pressed their studs into the Anfield turf and we watch from the stands in awe.  That still leaves a very large number of people - even those whom we think of fondly - who don't posses those unparalleled talents.

There is a great need in the world of football to label things.  Fast and small? You're the new Theo Walcott.  Any half decent scoring midfielder/striker with a good agent these days has been compared to Messi at least once.  Almost ten years ago, Liverpool had on their books a versatile defender.  He didn't excel at anything in particular but had more than a grasp for the art of defending and gave you everything he had.  The arrival of a new manager with a different philosophy to all those before it spelled a change in Jamie Carragher's career that saw him - briefly - become one of the best defenders in Europe.  Could the same happen again with Brendan Rodgers and Martin Kelly?

If they are to make good on their childhood dreams of being a footballer, there are inevitably roadblocks that must be overcome along the way.  In Martin Kelly's case that obstacle came early on in the form of a serious back injury, which stunted his development by almost two years.  Spotted by the Liverpool scouts at the tender age of seven years old, he was originally a centre midfielder but his height and composure on the ball saw him move back to defence, where - throughout his years at Melwood - he has played every position along the back-line.  After receiving rave reviews as a member of Gary Ablett's title winning reserve team in 2008, Kelly would go that one step further and make his Liverpool bow, coming on in the last few minutes for Jamie Carragher in a Champions League game in Eindhoven.

Having made enough of an impression on Rafa Benitez to include him in a few Champions League squads, the focus now was on whether or not he could push for a place in the regular first eleven.  In an attempt to get some first team football behind him, the last six months of the 2008-09 season saw Kelly loaned out to Huddersfield town, during which he scored his first ever competitive goal.  This continual progress, coupled with the departure of Sami Hyypiä led Benitez to claim that there would be a chance for one of the youth team players to make that step up and he again found himself in the team for a Champions League game, only this time in the starting line up.  Being awarded Man of the Match was a step in the right direction but unfortunately it came at a price.  A groin injury picked up in that game sidelined Kelly for four months.

The summer of 2010 saw major change at Liverpool as Rafa went out and Roy came in.  Kelly's chances were limited to Europa League games although a starting role in a two goal victory over Chelsea at Anfield was quickly followed by a new three year contract shortly after ward.  When Kenny Dalglish came in the following January, things began to pick up quickly for both Martin and the rest of the team. An extended run in the first team made it so that first choice right back Glen Johnson was moved over to the left side of defence, such were his performances.  When it was all going so well, injury struck again.  A hamstring tear against West Ham would be the end of his season.  He had shown the Liverpool faithful what he was capable of, and was also in the process of doing it on an international level.

Ashton Gate versus Uzbekistan.  Hardly the most glamorous of opponents and locations, nevertheless Martin Kelly made his England Under 21 debut and scored in the 2-0 victory in August 2010.  Just over a year later and he netted two goals in as many games to take his tally to three in five.  He underlined his potential for goalscoring by netting the second against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge just a week later.  These performances - coupled with one against Arsenal at the start of the season which drew plaudits from Fabio Capello himself - saw him firmly on the international radar.  He had come back from injury time and again, each time determined to come back stronger.  He had never had a particularly bad game for Liverpool and so, an even bigger challenge was on the horizon.  Despite all of this, nothing could prepare him for the fury that was about to come.

Injuries along the back line had deterred England's preparation for Euro 2012.  Micah Richards had ruled himself out because he didn't want to be on any standby list.  Roy Hodgson turned to Kelly - someone he had worked with before and quite probably the best option of those who were left.  It was as if Hodgdon had picked a short sighted alpaca.  Radio phone ins and internet forums added fuel to the fire, questioning the decision.  It was as if the rest of the country as one stood up and said "I have never seen Martin Kelly play." coupled with the fact that Liverpool had underachieved the season prior - as well as a severe undercurrent of dislike for the club in general - saw Kelly as a scapegoat for a side that hadn't even played a game yet.  Which brings us neatly to what's happening now.

Brendan Rodgers' arrival and subsequent change of philosophy, coupled with the performance against West Brom at the weekend has seen Kelly at the heart of another debate.  Those writing off his ability are almost certainly writing premature obituaries, because there is room for him at Liverpool Football Club.  If Martin were playing for a mid table club, someone like Tottenham, Chelsea or Arsenal would have likely snapped him up during this transfer window, so we must be careful in not discarding or tarring him.  Scapegoat tags are very hard to get rid of and after the summer he's just had it would be unfair to add to any of that.  That being said, there is a conversation that needs to be had.  Sooner rather than later, Kelly has to be moved to the centre.

Maybe it's the comparisons with Jamie Carragher that put people off Kelly long term.  Even though these days people only ever talk about him in a negative light, while the comparisons are still valid they don't resonate as much in a Brendan Rodgers side.  The flaws in Kelly's game out wide are arguably as great as those in Carra's game in the middle of this system, but playing Martin in the middle negates both of those aspects.  He's much more comfortable with the ball at his feet however, and carries a far greater aerial threat.  I see no reason why moving him centrally shouldn't at least be attempted, other than the fact that it leaves us very light in the wing back positions - although this could be rectified in the coming week.  If Liverpool insist on leaving him out wide, there's a possibility they may hinder themselves in two positions rather than just the one.

It's unlikely that Martin Kelly will ever score a hat-trick in four minutes or inspire an Istanbul like comeback.  His career at Anfield to date has been largely inconspicuous, but every club needs players like this.  People who will give their all and get on with whatever it is they have to do, without being conscious of the limelight.  Over the course of a season contributions will be made by everyone, some will have to be greater than others because not everybody can be a superstar.  To ignore that input would be foolish because the likes of Gerrard and Suarez wouldn't be able to do what they do were it not for the contribution of a Kelly or Lucas.  Even the smallest star still shines brightly in the sky.