Crystal Palace have done the right thing by offering Martin Kelly a new deal
According to Sky Sports, Martin Kelly has signed a new contract with Crystal Palace that will keep him at Selhurst Park until June 2021.
Kelly made his move to Selhurst Park from Liverpool back in the summer of 2014 and has made a total of 115 appearances for the Eagles over the course of four-and-a-half seasons at the club.
The 28-year-old was one of the first-choice centre-backs in his earlier days at the club but he is now used largely as an understudy to the defensive pairing of James Tomkins and Mamadou Sakho. Kelly has started on only 4 occasions in the Premier League this term but he has given a fair crack of the whip in the domestic cup competitions, with the former Liverpool academy graduate making 3 appearances apiece in the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup.
The 1-cap English international, who was an unused substitute for England at Euro 2012, continues to remain an important squad player at Selhurst Park despite slipping down the pecking order.
Injuries and inconsistencies have always been a part of Kelly’s career in the Premier League so far. He made his debut for Liverpool in 2008 but only rose to prominence during the 2010-11 season. Kelly started a total of 22 games for the Reds in the Premier League across the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons before falling out of favour due to lack of form and fitness. It has been the same old story for him at Palace, making a bright start to life but gradually fading away.
However, extending Kelly’s stay does make a lot of sense for the Eagles. One of his key strengths is his versatility to play anywhere across the backline. While he is essentially a right-back by trade, he has also been used as a left-back and a centre-back to good effect owing to his massive frame and aerial ability.
Despite their struggles in the attacking third this season, Palace have looked largely solid at the back in the Premier League this term. 34 goals conceded from 26 games so far is definitely not a bad record for a team that languish 13th in the standings. A closer look at their squad shows that Palace have got many versatile and utility players, particularly at the back and in the middle of the park, and Kelly is one of them.
The likes of Joel Ward, Pape Souare, Jeffrey Schlupp, Cheikhou Kouyate and James McArthur are capable of filling in at multiple positions, and while it would be difficult for Kelly to dislodge the pairing of Tomkins and Sakho, the former Liverpool man brings in a lot to the squad with his versatility and experience.
He is one of those players who shows great levels of commitment on the pitch and always gives his hundred per cent for the team irrespective of which position he is deployed at.
Standing at 6ft.3 inches with a massive frame, Kelly is capable of keeping the opposition at bay with his physicality, whilst also having the composure and awareness to play in a deep defensive line. He is quite fast and agile for a defender of his stature and often tends to create a chance or two by embarking on marauding runs through the opposition’s defence.
Read More:- Crystal Palace should plot an audacious swoop for this 22-year-old versatile Manchester City ace in an attempt to shore up their overall options
Still only 28, Kelly has plenty of years remaining in his prime and it is quite easy to see why Crystal Palace have struck gold by extending his stay.
