Liam Kelly, ascending into the world on the frosty morning of 23 January 1996, has, through some miraculous twist of fate or perhaps malicious cosmic humour, fallen into the role of a goalkeeper for Rangers. Commanding the intimidating presence of a lighthouse at 1.89m (6ft 2in) and a sturdy weight of 82kg (12st 12lb), he's done his level best to stop balls entering the net whilst proudly donning the number 31 jersey. It's also worth noting the lad has somehow found himself representing the Scotland national team.
In a twist of events akin to a storyline from a dramatic novel, Kelly joined Rangers, of the Scottish Premiership, in July 2004. Apparently desiring to bring some variation to his record, his first team appearances in the Premiership amounted to the grand total of 10 in the 2024 - 2025 season, impressively keeping that figure a sober zero in the 2025 - 2026 season thus far.
Demonstrating his ability to adapt, Kelly was boxed up and sent on loan to East Fife in Scotland's League One in January 2016, where he took to the field with vigour, making a dignified 16 first team appearances that season. However, no doubt homesick, he promptly ended his stay and returned to Rangers; we all mistake excitement for fear sometimes.
Interestingly enough, it seems like Kelly developed a soft spot for Livingston since he decided to take another break from Rangers in July 2016 and played on loan yet again. He graced himself in both the 2016 - 2017 and 2018 - 2019 seasons with, respectively, a notable 34 and a commendable 36 first team appearances. Rather fanatically, he then returned to Rangers, showcasing the same roller-coaster pattern of first team appearances as before.
Perhaps inspired by a mid-life crisis or just bored, Kelly then decided on a little move to Queens Park Rangers in the Championship in England in July 2019. Not content with keeping English balls out of the net, Kelly then decided to pop back up to Motherwell in the Premiership in Scotland in January 2021, gone through the revolving door of Rangers one too many times, one might suspect.
The ceaseless saga continued when Kelly moved to Motherwell, again, in July 2021 from Queens Park Rangers, where he led a largely uniform and uneventful career of annual first team appearances, with season 2020 - 2021 boasting just 18, while the subsequent seasons from 2021 - 2022 to 2023 - 2024 each entertained us with a consistent 38.
With the winds of change seemingly blowing him in a singularly familiar direction, Kelly yet again returned to Rangers in July 2024. And after all that, at present day, he managed one start in the League Cup 2025 - 2026 for Rangers, and one start in the Scottish Cup 2024 - 2025 for Rangers. A grim repetition, indeed.
