Martin Kelly

There are not many players who can say that they made their first team debut in a Champions League game, but Martin Kelly did. One of the most talented young players on Liverpool’s books, the England Under 21 defender went on as substitute in an encounter with PSV Eindhoven on December 9, 2008. Three months later he went on loan to Huddersfield Town, for whom he played seven times, and he scored his first professional goal against Walsall. After returning to Liverpool for the 2009-10 season he was handed his first start for the club in another Champions League clash, this time with Lyon at Anfield on October 20, before injuries disrupted his season. It was not the first time the Academy graduate had suffered an injury set-back – he missed almost two years of his development due to a back problem – but on that occasion he recovered to break into the Reserves during the 2007-08 campaign and helped them win the league. The knocks he has taken so early in his career have made him all the more determined to succeed and when he returned to fitness ahead of 2010-11 he was rewarded with a call-up to England U21s. He subsequently provided team boss Stuart Pearce with a headed goal on his debut against Uzbekistan.