Updated at 23.14
FOOTBALL CAN BE a cruel game, and if Liam Kelly didn’t know that already, he will have certainly discovered it today.
The 20-year-old, who has appeared for Ireland at underage level, was handed his full league debut for Reading today.
However, it was a game to forget from the youngster’s perspective.
Manager Jaap Stam was not happy with what he was seeing, and took off Kelly just 28 minutes into his debut.
Another Irishman, Paul McShane, replaced him, and the ex-Hull defender went on to score the winner, as Reading beat bottom-of-the-table Rotherham 1-0 in the Championship.
Kelly can still take encouragement from the fact that he started a game at senior level in the Championship — an opportunity that is becoming increasingly rare for young footballers from Ireland and elsewhere.
The Ireland U19 player is clearly highly thought of at Reading and today’s match — when he was taken off for tactical reasons — won’t change that.
A midfielder who is considered skillful and technically adept, Kelly struggled to make an impact in a highly physical game in which Rotherham in particular played an uncompromising, long-ball approach.
Writing for getreading.co.uk, local reporter Charles Watts wrote that the decision will have been “tough to take” for the youngster, adding:
There shouldn’t be any criticism levelled at Kelly, far from it — if there is any criticism it should be directed at the manager who would have known what was coming from Rotherham having studied videos during the week.
“It was an error from the manager – but it would have been an ever bigger error by Stam to leave Kelly on if he believed his game-plan wasn’t working.
“Royals’ boss put his arm round Kelly as he made his way off and no doubt would have had some words of comfort for the midfielder – who it has to be said looked perfectly comfortable when in possession at the New York Stadium.
“Reading’s boss must now ensure that his decision this afternoon does not do any long-term harm to the club’s academy product, who has made a big impression behind the scenes this season since the summer.”
The Reading Academy product, who also has two EFL Cup appearances to his name, has done immensely well just to get to this level, and everyone in the club will undoubtedly be hopeful that this setback will turn out to be a minor blip in his burgeoning career.
Kelly was retaining a positive outlook after today’s game, tweeting: “Grateful for the chance to start my 1st championship game, massive learning curve which will only help.”
Moreover, if Kelly’s name sounds familiar, then you have come across his wonder goal for the Irish U19s against Sweden back in 2013 (see below).
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