Fiacre Kelleher
![]() Kelleher playing for Bradford City in 2021 | |||
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Fiacre Blane Kelleher[1] | ||
Date of birth | 10 March 1996 | ||
Place of birth | Cork, Ireland | ||
Height | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)[2] | ||
Position(s) | Central defender | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Colchester United | ||
Number | 4 | ||
Youth career | |||
Avondale | |||
2012–2016 | Celtic | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2016–2017 | Celtic | 0 | (0) |
2016–2017 | → Peterhead (loan) | 19 | (3) |
2017–2019 | Oxford United | 0 | (0) |
2017–2018 | → Solihull Moors (loan) | 38 | (2) |
2018–2019 | → Macclesfield Town (loan) | 42 | (1) |
2019–2020 | Macclesfield Town | 36 | (1) |
2020–2021 | Wrexham | 42 | (1) |
2021–2023 | Bradford City | 9 | (0) |
2022–2023 | → Solihull Moors (loan) | 18 | (1) |
2023– | Colchester United | 32 | (3) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 16:23, 10 August 2024 (UTC) |
Fiacre Blane Kelleher (born 10 March 1996) is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a defender for EFL League Two club Colchester United.
Early and personal life
[edit]Born in Cork,[2] Kelleher is from Blackrock.[3] He has three older brothers who played hurling, as did he.[3][4] He is the older brother of Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher.[5]
Club career
[edit]Early career
[edit]Kelleher began his career with local Cork club Avondale, before signing for Scottish club Celtic in 2012.[3] He moved on loan to Peterhead in July 2016.[6]
He signed for English club Oxford United in June 2017.[7] He moved on loan to Solihull Moors in August 2017,[8] extending the deal in January 2018 until the end of the season.[9]
Macclesfield Town
[edit]He joined Macclesfield Town on loan in June 2018.[10] Kelleher made his professional debut on the first day of the 2018–19 season, starting the game against Swindon Town.[2] He scored his first goal for club in an EFL Cup draw with Bradford City in August, and his first league goal in a 3–3 draw with Newport County at the beginning of October.[11] After being released by Oxford at the end of the season,[12] he returned to Macclesfield and was named captain of the side for the 2019–20 season.[13]
Wrexham
[edit]On 12 September 2020, Kelleher signed for National League side Wrexham.[14]
Kelleher was released by Wrexham on 2 June 2021.[15]
Bradford City
[edit]On 29 June 2021 it was announced that he had signed a two-year contract with Bradford City.[16][17] He later said that he was "excited" to train with his new teammates.[18] He entered the starting line-up after an injury to captain Niall Canavan,[19] later saying that the club's dip in form was not enjoyable.[20]
In April 2022 he said was "gobsmacked" that the club had hired Mark Hughes as manager.[21]
He moved on loan to Solihull Moors in July 2022, for the entire season.[22] He was recalled by Bradford City in January 2023, with a view to making a permanent transfer elsewhere.[23]
Colchester United
[edit]The next day, he signed for Colchester United for an undisclosed fee.[24][25] He had said that his time at Bradford had "not worked out", having made 11 appearances for the club.[26] After signing for Colchester he became "in the heart of the defence".[27]
International career
[edit]Kelleher has represented Ireland at under-19 level.[28]
Career statistics
[edit]- As of match played 13 August 2024[2]
Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Celtic | 2016–17 | Scottish Premiership | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Peterhead (loan) | 2016–17 | Scottish League One | 19 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2[a] | 0 | 25 | 3 |
Oxford United | 2017–18 | League One | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2018–19 | League One | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Total | 19 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 25 | 3 | ||
Solihull Moors (loan) | 2017–18 | National League | 38 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2[b] | 0 | 42 | 2 |
2022–23 | National League | 18 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 1 | |
Total | 56 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 62 | 3 | ||
Macclesfield Town (loan) | 2018–19 | League Two | 42 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2[c] | 0 | 48 | 2 |
Macclesfield Town | 2019–20 | League Two | 36 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1[c] | 0 | 39 | 1 |
Wrexham | 2020–21 | National League | 42 | 1 | 1 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 43 | 1 | |
Bradford City | 2021–22 | League Two | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2[c] | 0 | 12 | 0 |
Total | 129 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 142 | 4 | ||
Colchester United | 2022–23 | League Two | 20 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 2 |
2023–24 | League Two | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 1 | |
2024–25 | League Two | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
Total | 32 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 35 | 3 | ||
Career total | 236 | 12 | 8 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 264 | 13 |
- ^ Appearances in Scottish Challenge Cup
- ^ Appearances in FA Trophy
- ^ a b c Appearance(s) in EFL Trophy
References
[edit]- ^ "Notification of shirt numbers" (PDF). English Football League. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
- ^ a b c d Fiacre Kelleher at Soccerway. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
- ^ a b c "Getting to know Fiacre Kelleher". Celtic F.C. 15 November 2015. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
- ^ ""When Paudie and I are in full flow, not many people can understand what we're saying!"". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. 27 May 2022.
- ^ Nash, Mathew (2015). "Liverpool complete signing of Celtic top talent Fiacre Kelleher's younger brother Caoimhin". HITC. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
- ^ "Fiacre Kelleher joins Peterhead on loan". Celtic FC. 25 July 2016. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
- ^ "Oxford United: Celtic defender Fiacre Kelleher joins on two-year deal". BBC Sport. 19 June 2017. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
- ^ "Fiacre Kelleher: Solihull Moors sign defender on loan from Oxford United". BBC Sport. 3 August 2017. Retrieved 10 August 2017.
- ^ "Fiacre Kelleher extends his loan at Solihull Moors". Solihull Moors FC. 2 January 2018. Retrieved 30 April 2018.[dead link]
- ^ "Macclesfield Town: Oxford United defender Fiacre Kelleher joins on loan". BBC Sport. 29 June 2018. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
- ^ Fiacre Kelleher at Soccerbase
- ^ David Pritchard (10 May 2019). "Karl Robinson looks to future after 'clearing the decks' at Oxford United". Oxford Mail. Newsquest Media Group.
- ^ "Kelleher Named Silkmen Captain". Macclesfield Town FC. 2 August 2019. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
- ^ "Fiacre Kelleher signs a one-year deal at Wrexham AFC". Wrexham AFC. 12 September 2020. Archived from the original on 21 September 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
- ^ "Wrexham AFC announce 2021 retained list". Wrexham AFC. 2 June 2021. Archived from the original on 3 June 2021. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
- ^ "Defender Kelleher becomes Bradford City's seventh signing". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. 29 June 2021.
- ^ "Bradford sign Wrexham defender Kelleher". BBC Sport.
- ^ "Why Kelleher loves sharing the strain of Bradford City's pre-season". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. 12 July 2021.
- ^ "Kelleher cannot wait to see Valley Parade in full cry". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. 16 September 2021.
- ^ ""I'm at a big club where I get lunch and breakfast. That didn't happen at Macclesfield"". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. October 2021.
- ^ "Kelleher talks up Hughes effect as City plot summer rebuild". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. 29 April 2022.
- ^ "Kelleher leaves Valley Parade for non-league loan spell". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. 12 July 2022.
- ^ "Defender Kelleher poised for permanent exit from Bradford City". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. 3 January 2023.
- ^ "City defender Kelleher leaves Valley Parade to sign for League Two rivals". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. 4 January 2023.
- ^ "Colchester sign Bradford defender Kelleher". BBC Sport.
- ^ "Bantams move didn't work out for me, admits Colchester new boy Kelleher". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. 6 January 2023.
- ^ "BANTAMS OPPOSITION: Kelleher looking forward to swift Valley Parade return". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. 3 March 2023.
- ^ "Cork native secures move to League One side after five years at Celtic". The42.ie. Journal Media. 19 June 2017. Retrieved 19 August 2019.