Stephen Kelly next season?

ReconRobstar

Active Member
Does anyone know how his season went with Salford City last year?
Last I recall he had a good spell at Ayr 19-20 season and also looked decent in pre-season friendlies this year. I hoped he would come in as a squad player soon, looks like him and Charlie McCann may battle for that position but Kelly is a bit older. No point in any more loans now at 22 its make or break time I hope he gets pre-season to impress we keep hearing Gio will give youth a chance would be disappointing not to see him get a go.
Kai Kennedy also falls into that bracket but I feel like McCann looks like he has more about him.
 
He did well at Ross County, then looked decent in preseason but was nowhere to be seen when the league and cup started.
He might have been involved if 5 subs were allowed at the start of the season.
I did watch 1 Salford game near the end of the season and he didn't impress, although the overall standard was poor.
 
Does anyone know how his season went with Salford City last year?
Last I recall he had a good spell at Ayr 19-20 season and also looked decent in pre-season friendlies this year. I hoped he would come in as a squad player soon, looks like him and Charlie McCann may battle for that position but Kelly is a bit older. No point in any more loans now at 22 its make or break time I hope he gets pre-season to impress we keep hearing Gio will give youth a chance would be disappointing not to see him get a go.
Kai Kennedy also falls into that bracket but I feel like McCann looks like he has more about him.


Gio has proved with Lowry and to a lesser extent Devine, King, McCann and McKinnon that youth will get a chance, if they're good enough.

Kelly is pretty much the same age as Bassey, so I think that ship has sailed for him.
He's found a level he can be competitive at, so good luck to him.

Kennedy has struggled on loan at a couple of Scottish Championship clubs and won't make it at Rangers.
 
I was all for giving him a chance this season after his spells with Ayr and Ross County but I think the return to 3 subs killed off any chance of that. Doesn’t seem to have stood out much at Salford but hopefully he can get himself a decent move down south and a good career, he’s still young.
 
Was better than Steven Davis according to loads a week or so into last season :rolleyes:

Don't remember that. I do remember people suggesting he should have been used as a rotation option so Davis didn't have to play every week, as he was coming off a good season with Ross County and a good pre-season.

Timing is everything, especially for youngsters trying to break into the first team. Gerrard didn't want to loan Kelly out last season but didn't want to play him either, and his development stalled. I'm not convinced having 5 subs from the start of the season would have made a difference for Kelly, as Gerrard didn't really use those extra 2 subs for youngsters even in 2020/21 after the league was won. If he'd went into last season with Gio as his gaffer and the 5 subs available then I do think he'd have had more chances, but if your granny had baws and aw that. Kelly's a good player and will hopefully move on this summer, do well and earn us a sell-on fee in the future.
 
Miles behind what’s coming through in his position. Can see him at the bottom end of the SPFL/ English league 2.
 
I know he's our player but we wouldn't sign and play a 22-year old from Salford, so I doubt he's going to feature. Hopefully he's caught the eye down there and can get a move to a decent club at that level.
We are screaming for Lowry to get more games and when not in the first team he was playing junior level so wouldnt pay too much attention to the fact he was on loan at Salford.
 
No chance imo.

I'm very much of the belief that we will no longer send players we value as first team quality out on lower league loans. If that's happening (especially to a player that's 22 as opposed to a teenager) I don't think they'll be here going forward.
 
Sadly like most of our prospects he's not at the level required and will not make it at Rangers

Should make a very decent living in the English lower leagues. Seems a good lad
 
Met stephen on route to Seville with his Dad, told me he has a year left, both him and his da made their own way to Seville, hoping the club sorted them when they got there.

Think salford want him permantley he said.

He also said their was another programme coming on about the whole man urd thing after the summer.
 
Kelly seemed to play a lot of games for Salford so I don't think he flopped down there or anything like that. I guess Gio and his staff will be assessing a number of players in pre-season.
 
We are screaming for Lowry to get more games and when not in the first team he was playing junior level so wouldnt pay too much attention to the fact he was on loan at Salford.
Great point , playing for Salford ,Ayr Utd , etc , any of our players would struggle a bit .

For me loans should be looked at as strength & conditioning more so than as a sign of football excellence.
 
Sadly like most of our prospects he's not at the level required and will not make it at Rangers

Should make a very decent living in the English lower leagues. Seems a good lad
Most prospects won't make it at their clubs level though, it's not just us. I do however think they should get more of a chance, but it's natural that only a small minority actually make it.
 
The loss of 5 subs early in the season didn't help him as in pre-season he looked really good. Dunfermline cup game you thought he might have got a chance but was left on the bench and got the last 15 minutes or so. Think he will move on this summer along with the likes of Josh McPake, Kai Kennedy etc
 
He was one I had real hope for after seeing him for the u21s, however maybe that ship has sailed. Who knows what will happen, maybe he comes in for pre season and looks the part, however good luck to him whatever happens.
 
Does anyone know how his season went with Salford City last year?
Last I recall he had a good spell at Ayr 19-20 season and also looked decent in pre-season friendlies this year. I hoped he would come in as a squad player soon, looks like him and Charlie McCann may battle for that position but Kelly is a bit older. No point in any more loans now at 22 its make or break time I hope he gets pre-season to impress we keep hearing Gio will give youth a chance would be disappointing not to see him get a go.
Kai Kennedy also falls into that bracket but I feel like McCann looks like he has more about him.
I suspect he will move on this summer. Looked ok in his few appearances, but nothing exciting.
 
This is probably a good illustration of the difficulty of youth development at Rangers. he would have been far in front of Lewis ferguson at the age Ferguson was released. He left Rangers and got first team football and developed faster than Kelly.
 
Wish him well. Sadly for him he is not going to make it at Rangers.
 
He did ok but in the same (or better) leagues Greg Docherty, Kal Naismith, Josh Windass and Matt Crooks have excelled in recent years so I'd say he's probably not done enough to prolong his Rangers career.
 
Decent player but quite a lot of our talented youngsters will be not quite good enough for us yet still have very solid careers.

Hope he joins Salford and does well.
 
Probably end up at the likes of Kelty Hearts with Jamie Barjonas.

Jamie Barjonas only dropped down to that level because of Kevin Thomson. There's absolutely no chance Stephen Kelly, whom SPFL clubs wanted on loan last summer and who is wanted by teams down south, will end up at Kelty Hearts.
 
I know he's our player but we wouldn't sign and play a 22-year old from Salford, so I doubt he's going to feature. Hopefully he's caught the eye down there and can get a move to a decent club at that level.
Got to say, you put it well.
He’s got to move on for both his own career and also make room for the guys behind Lowry, Hamilton and McKinnon.
 
I like Kelly. Every time I've seen him he's looked very tidy. I probably haven't seen enough to say whether or not he can make it here though but - like someone said above - if we had 5 subs all season I think he would have stayed.
 
Tbh it's hard to tell with Kelly how is career will fair.

Will he stay here and be a squad option

Or

Will he go down south develop and have a John Fleck like career down south

Or

Will he basically be the next Scott Allan/Stevie Mallan


A big summer for the lad. I sadly think his time with us is over. I don't think he is ready for our level and keeping Kelly will just stall him further. I think long term there is a player there and he could eventually develop into a good deep lying playmaker. So one to sell with a clause and keep an eye on.
 
Whilst he's unlikely to make our first team due to talent behind him, it'd be great to at least get a fee for him. How long is left on his current contract?
 
I was at the Salford vs Walsall game at the end of March. The standard is terrible. Kelly looked like one of the better players but sadly I don’t think he’s got a chance with us.

Staunch points though, he had his hands behind his back during the huddle.
 
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Met stephen on route to Seville with his Dad, told me he has a year left, both him and his da made their own way to Seville, hoping the club sorted them when they got there.

Think salford want him permantley he said.

He also said their was another programme coming on about the whole man urd thing after the summer.

I thought I read on here his family were Celtic fans?
 
Gio has proved with Lowry and to a lesser extent Devine, King, McCann and McKinnon that youth will get a chance, if they're good enough.

Kelly is pretty much the same age as Bassey, so I think that ship has sailed for him.
He's found a level he can be competitive at, so good luck to him.

Kennedy has struggled on loan at a couple of Scottish Championship clubs and won't make it at Rangers.
Gio didn't play any of them regularly until the league was over. Lowry came in, did well but didn't feature much after that till the pressure was off.
 
I genuinely forgot about the lad, he was excellent pre season last year,, I really thought he would have been used this past season.
 
Won’t be writing him off just yet.

He could always play, he’s now done the hard yards in his loans. GVB now having his first look at him. Stranger things have happened
 
Kelly seemed to play a lot of games for Salford so I don't think he flopped down there or anything like that. I guess Gio and his staff will be assessing a number of players in pre-season.
Lot of Salford fans on twitter saying "sad to see him go" when the deal ended
 
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