Gary Kelly is a man much-loved by Leeds United supporters and his former team mates for a number of reasons. He was a fantastic servant of the club for 15 years between 1992 and 2007 and is rightly remembered for everything he gave to the Whites.
He was a vital member of a number of squads at Elland Road and while his impact on the pitch cannot be underestimated, his behaviour and commitment off the field was also exemplary. Jonathan Douglas, who played with Kelly during the 2006/07 season, fondly recollected a story that highlighted the former vice captain’s desire to improve the club wherever he could.
“We had a couple of Irish lads who were a couple of years younger than me and they were renting an apartment in Leeds,” he told the Only Football Fans podcast. “I think after a night out, Kells went back to the apartment with the lads and they were having a few drinks and stuff.
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“He told the young boys that they weren’t living there anymore and they were saying ‘What are you talking about? This is all we can afford.’ On the Monday morning, Kells went and got them and said ‘Come on, we’re going to the estate agents.’
“The two young boys were saying ‘We can’t afford anything round here’ and Kells went in, let them pick an apartment and said ‘You’re not living in town, you’re living closer to the training ground just to make sure you’re always on time and you’re not messing about.’ The two lads picked an apartment and he said ‘Alright then, I’ll pay your rent for a year, this is where you’re staying.’”
Stories like those make it abundantly clear why so many Leeds managers trusted Kelly with a key role in the squad for a decade and a half. His commitment to not only giving his all when he crossed the white line but also when he stepped away from the pitch has always been worth its weight in gold.
Douglas, who went on to make well over 100 appearances for Leeds during his three-year spell at the club, could not have spoken more highly of his compatriot. “He was brilliant on the field and brilliant off it, he’s a real character and, looking back on it, it’s a privilege to have played with someone like him,” he said.
Those sentiments would undoubtedly be echoed by a number of Kelly’s former team mates as well as supporters who watched him play on the right-hand side of the Leeds defence. Hearing anecdotes like that one from Douglas will only further endear fans to a player they adored at Elland Road for so many years.
