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Former Liverpool defender Martin Kelly said that he is "fine with having the shortest England career in history."
Merseyside-born Kelly came through the ranks at Liverpool, joining the club as a young boy before eventually making his senior debut for the club in 2008.
Over the following few years, Kelly became a regular squad player for Liverpool, and he was rewarded with his England debut in a European Championship warm-up game against Norway in May 2012,
He came on as an 88th-minute substitute for Phil Jones, featuring for six minutes and 53 seconds. Despite being included in the squad for the tournament itself as a late replacement for the injured Gary Cahill, Kelly did not play in it, and he never represented his country again.
“Yeah, apparently the shortest England career in history,” he told The Athletic as he confirmed his retirement from playing aged 35..
“I don’t know for sure how accurate that is, but it’s what I’ve been told. I’m absolutely fine with that. Making my international debut was one of the proudest moments of my life.”
“I came on at right-back, had a few touches, and then it was all over. When Gary Cahill broke his jaw a week later, (England manager) Roy Hodgson called me up as a replacement in the squad for the Euros.
"It was a shame that I spent the first 10 days of the tournament in bed with a virus and never got the chance to play for England again, but just getting there meant so much after the hurdles I’d had to overcome.”
Kelly also recalled playing for Liverpool in a Europa League game against Napoli in 2010, and said he is often reminded of the fact because the team that lined up in Naples 15 years ago is viewed by many as a sign of how far the Reds have come in the years since.
“It was a strange time,” Kelly said. “Roy [Hodgson, the Liverpool manager at the time] didn’t have the budget, so he was looking at free transfers and promoting youth.
"I frequently get tagged in photos on social media of the team I was part of when we played Napoli away in the Europa League. It’s used as the contrast between Liverpool then and Liverpool now.
“I always have a chuckle, because we drew 0-0 and they had Edinson Cavani up front. That was one of my best achievements! The club wasn’t in a great place, but you knew when FSG came in that they would improve things.
"Appointing a figurehead like Kenny [Dalglish] really helped. When he walked into the dressing room, you sensed the magnitude of the man. You didn’t want to let him down.”
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