DUTCH GIANTS FEYENOORD have announced the signing of former Republic of Ireland U21 international Liam Kelly on a two-year contract.

Kelly makes the move to Rotterdam from English Championship club Reading, where he had been on the books since the age of eight.

At Feyenoord, the 15-time Eredivisie winners, Kelly is reunited with Jaap Stam, who he also played under at Reading. 

“Liam is a technically sophisticated player with a lot of potential, someone who fits well with the way we want to play football,” said Stam, who succeeded Giovanni van Bronckhorst as Feyenoord boss in March.

A 23-year-old creative midfielder, Kelly was born in England but — via his Irish grandparents — he has represented the Republic of Ireland up to U21 level.

However, doubts over his international allegiance grew in March 2018 when former Ireland manager Martin O’Neill claimed that Kelly had declined a call-up for a senior international friendly against Turkey in the hope of being capped by England instead.

Kelly later contradicted O’Neill’s version of events, telling the Reading Chronicle: “It had nothing to do with feeling English or Irish, it was a personal thing between me and my family which we thought was best. There are no ifs and buts about it, it was just how I was feeling at the time.”

In their press release announcing his arrival, Feyenoord refer to Kelly as the first Irishman to join the club since David Connolly represented them between 1997 and 2001.

Kelly made 94 first-team appearances for Reading, scoring nine goals and contributing nine assists.

Feyenoord finished in third place in the Dutch top flight last season, which will see them enter the Europa League at the third qualifying round.

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