Neil Kilkenny
Encyclopedia
Neil Martin Kilkenny is an English-born Australia
n football (soccer) player who plays for Bristol City
as a midfielder
. He is a member of the Australia national team.
, Middlesex
, Kilkenny moved to Australia with his family at the age of four, and grew up in Brisbane.He also worked for a short while at Homebase. When 7, he played for a club in west Brisbane called St. Catherines United Football Club. St Cats is best known for defeating Westminster in the 2008 QCSA grand final senior Mens Division 5. A promising schoolboy footballer, he captained the Queensland
schools' representative team. When Kilkenny was eleven, the family returned to England to maximise his chances of making a career in the game. At twelve, he was invited to join Arsenal
's youth development scheme, and while a student at Ravenscroft School, Barnet
, he played for Middlesex Schools and appeared for Arsenal's under-17 team. In July 2002 he began a two-year scholarship programme in Arsenal's Academy.
By the 2003–04 season, he had graduated to Arsenal's under-19 team and once been an unused substitute for the reserves, and had played international football for Ireland under-19s
, qualifying via Irish paternal grandparents, and for England under-18s
. However, he became unhappy at Arsenal, chose to leave the club, and after trials with clubs including Aston Villa
, Manchester City
and Leicester City
, he joined Birmingham City
on a free transfer in January 2004.
in April 2004, but was not included in the matchday squad. Perceived as not ready for the first team at Premier League level, he was loaned to League One
club Oldham Athletic
in November 2004 to gain first-team experience. He made his debut in the Football League
as a second-half substitute in Oldham's 3–2 win at home to Barnsley
on 20 November, and scored two goals in his second game, a 3–1 win away to Bradford City
, four days later. He played a full part in Oldham's season: he took the free kick which led to the winning goal against Premier League Manchester City
in the FA Cup
, and ended up as winner of the club's Players' Young Player of the Season award.
At the start of the 2005–06
season he became part of the Birmingham first-team squad, though manager Steve Bruce
warned him that he would not easily find his way into the team. On 20 September 2005, he made his Birmingham first-team debut in the League Cup
away at Scunthorpe United
, as a 26th-minute substitute to replace the injured Muzzy Izzet. Four days later, with six other midfielders unavailable through injury or suspension, he made his full home debut against Liverpool
in the Premier League, in which he was sent off late in the game for handling the ball on the goal-line, thus giving Liverpool a penalty
and a 2–2 draw. Despite his dismissal, he received words of encouragement from team mates Mikael Forssell
and Mario Melchiot
for his performance, and went on to make 25 appearances in all competitions, mainly as substitute, as Birmingham were relegated to the Football League Championship
. The following season Kilkenny's appearances were infrequent; he started only two games, both in the League Cup. The player became frustrated; while part of the first-team squad, he was rarely part of the first team, yet Bruce was reluctant to allow him out on loan.
It was announced on 30 July 2007 that Kilkenny would again join Oldham on loan until January 2008. The move was blocked following the collapse of Birmingham's purchase of Hossam Ghaly
, but was confirmed a few days later. His last match before he returned to Birmingham was an influential performance as Oldham beat Leeds United
3–1 to become the first team that season to win a League game at Elland Road
.
, putting in an impressive performance to get the man of the match
award. Kilkenny signed a three-and-a-half year permanent contract with Leeds on 7 January for a fee of £150,000. He scored his first goal for the club in their 2–0 win against Bournemouth
in March 2008. Leeds went on to reach the play-off Final that season but lost 1–0 against Doncaster Rovers
. He was then called up to the Australian Olympic team during the summer and missed all of pre season training for Leeds as a result. After a period out of the team and the sacking of Gary McAllister
Kilkenny regained a spot in the Leeds midfield under the stewardship of new manager Simon Grayson
late in the 2008–09 season.
His 43rd minute goal against Yeovil on 10 March 2009 was a leading contender for the goal of the season. He then followed this up with goals in the 3–2 win against Crewe Alexandra
and the 3–1 win against Tranmere Rovers
. Kilkenny was part of the Leeds team who were knocked out of the play-off semi finals, with him being injured and having to be substituted in the first half of the second leg against Millwall at Elland Road. Many observers saw this as a big turning point in the tie, as Leeds lost the fluidity of Kilkenny's passing ability.
Kilkenny started his first league game of the season in the top of the table 0–0 draw against Charlton Athletic
and also started the next game in the Football League Trophy win against Darlington. He scored his first goal of the season for Leeds in the 3–1 win against Grimsby Town
, the goal rounding off a fine passing move and a one-two with Jermaine Beckford
, before calmly stroking the ball into the bottom right corner. Kilkenny also received the man of the match award in the same game. He scored in the game against Brighton & Hove Albion, making it two goals in two games. He also provided an assist for Beckford and got his second man of the match award in a row. Kilkenny scored his third goal of the season against his former club Oldham; the goal was assisted by Max Gradel
and it was Kilkenny's third goal in his last five games. Kilkenny's fourth goal of the season came against Accrington Stanley
with a rare headed goal, and carrying on his impressive goalscoring form. He gained yet another assist for Leeds when he set up Beckford's first goal against Hartlepool United.
Kilkenny played against Manchester United
when Leeds won 1–0 away at Old Trafford
on 3 January in the FA Cup. He was at the heart of the midfield for Leeds when they earned a 2–2 draw against Tottenham Hotspur
in the FA Cup on 23 January 2010. He was substituted against Swindon Town, and was omitted from Leeds' lineup against Colchester United after being ruled out by injury. The injury also forced him to miss the FA Cup replay at Elland Road against Tottenham Hotspur and the league 1 game against Hartlepool United
. Kilkenny returned to the bench for Leeds after injury against Carlisle United
in the Football League Trophy Northern Final second leg. He came on as a second half substitute and put in an impressive performance for Leeds in a 3–2 victory, also having a scuffle with his teammate Max Gradel
during injury time, although Leeds ended up losing the tie after losing the penalty shootout 6–5, with Kilkenny converting one of the penalties for Leeds.
Kilkenny came back into the starting lineup for the next game against Leyton Orient
after fully recovering from his injury. He played an instrumental part as Leeds were promoted to the Football League Championship after finishing in 2nd place in League One and thus earning automatic promotion.
when he scored a penalty for Leeds. Kilkenny has gained several assists for Leeds in the first few weeks of the season, including two assists for Jonathan Howson
and Davide Somma
in Leeds 5–2 defeat against Barnsley After being an ever present for Leeds, Kilkenny was named on the bench in the game against Sheffield United. November 2010 Kilkenny entered contract negotiations with Leeds over extending his contract November 2010 Kilkenny was subject to interest from other clubs who are monitoring his contract situation at Leeds.
On 21 December 2010 Kilkenny revealed that his desire to sign a new contract and to stay at Leeds United. Kilkenny was named in the final 23 man squad for Australia's squad for the Asian Cup on 27 December, meaning he will miss an entire month of the season for Leeds including the FA Cup
tie against his old club Arsenal
. On 7 January, Kilkenny revealed he was gutted to be missing the FA Cup tie, but he would be watching it whilst on international duty for Australia.
Kilkenny confirmed that he wanted to stay at Leeds on 10 January, beyond his initial contract, and was hoping to sign a new deal at the club. After missing several games for Leeds by playing for Australia at the Asian Cup, Kilkenny returned to the Leeds squad and was named on the bench against Hull City
. Before re-gaining his place in the starting 11 in the following game vs Bristol City. Kilkenny scored his first league goal and just his second goal of the season with a hard effort from outside the box against Preston North End. 11 May, Kilkenny announced that he would like to stay at Leeds as long as Leeds wanted to keep him. Leeds chairman, Ken Bates
announced on 12 May, that Kilkenny was set to leave the club after the club and player couldn't agree on a new contract extension Kilkenny revealed that when he leaves Leeds that he would like to stay in Europe after reports had linked him to a move to the Australian A-League. Leeds announced on their official website on 27 May that Kilkenny had failed to respond to Leeds' offer of a new contract and that he would most likely be leaving the club, so that they could sort out their other transfer targets.
. On 24 June, Kilkenny signed for fellow Championship team Bristol City
on a three year contract after turning down Leeds' new offer and also several Championship teams interest in him.
Kilkenny said before the game against Leeds that he never wanted to leave Leeds. Kilkenny returned to his prior club Leeds United on 17 September when Bristol City came to Elland Road, with Kilkenny scoring his first goal for Bristol in the same game. Kilkenny revealed before the game that he felt Leeds Chairman Ken Bates has always got something to say and sometimes he needs to keep quiet.
. He previously played for England Under 20's, but shortly before the 2006 FIFA World Cup
he committed to play for Australia. He was among a group of young players, selected by manager Guus Hiddink
, who trained with the Australian squad in Holland and Germany prior to the tournament. Kilkenny made his international debut for Australia on 7 June 2006, coming on as a late substitute in their 3–1 victory in a World Cup warm-up game against Liechtenstein
in Ulm
, Germany.
In 2007 he was a part of the Australian Olyroos
for the 2008 Beijing Olympics qualifying campaign
. In June 2008 he was one of 33 players called up for a pre-Olympic training camp prior to selection of the final 18-man squad. He was included in the final 18-man squad and did manage to play one game in the olympics for Australia, who were knocked out in the group stages. After Leeds' win over Manchester United
, Australia have sent scouts to watch Kilkenny with regards to Australia's World Cup Squad with the match providing to be a high profile game to put Kilkenny back on the World Cup radar, however Kilkenny wasn't selected by Pim Verbeek for the World Cup Squad.
On 16 December 2010 Kilkenny was selected in Australia's provisional squad for the Asian Cup tournament, before being named in the final 23 man squad for Australia's squad for the Asian Cup on 27 December. Kilkenny came on as a second half substitute against UAE in a warm up game for the Asian Cup. He played his first game in the Asian Cup when he came on as a second half substitute against Bahrain. In the quarter final match, against reigning champions Iraq, Kilkenny made an appearance in the 109th minute, during a 1–0 win. Kilkenny played in the Asian Cup Final, however Australia lost 1–0 to Japan
after extra time.
June 2011, Kilkenny started for Australia in the 3–0 win over New Zealand
.
! rowspan=2|Season !! rowspan=2|Club !! rowspan=2|Status !! rowspan=2|Division
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Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n football (soccer) player who plays for Bristol City
Bristol City F.C.
Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...
as a midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
. He is a member of the Australia national team.
Early life and career
Born in EnfieldLondon Borough of Enfield
The London Borough of Enfield is the most northerly London borough and forms part of Outer London. It borders the London Boroughs of Barnet, Haringey and Waltham Forest...
, Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
, Kilkenny moved to Australia with his family at the age of four, and grew up in Brisbane.He also worked for a short while at Homebase. When 7, he played for a club in west Brisbane called St. Catherines United Football Club. St Cats is best known for defeating Westminster in the 2008 QCSA grand final senior Mens Division 5. A promising schoolboy footballer, he captained the Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
schools' representative team. When Kilkenny was eleven, the family returned to England to maximise his chances of making a career in the game. At twelve, he was invited to join Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
's youth development scheme, and while a student at Ravenscroft School, Barnet
Barnet
High Barnet or Chipping Barnet is a place in the London Borough of Barnet, North London, England. It is a suburban development built around a twelfth-century settlement and is located north north-west of Charing Cross. Its name is often abbreviated to Barnet, which is also the name of the London...
, he played for Middlesex Schools and appeared for Arsenal's under-17 team. In July 2002 he began a two-year scholarship programme in Arsenal's Academy.
By the 2003–04 season, he had graduated to Arsenal's under-19 team and once been an unused substitute for the reserves, and had played international football for Ireland under-19s
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
, qualifying via Irish paternal grandparents, and for England under-18s
England national under-18 football team
-Latest squad:The following players were named in the squad for the friendly match against Slovakia.-Recent call-ups:The following players have also been called up to the England under-18 squad and remain eligible.-References:...
. However, he became unhappy at Arsenal, chose to leave the club, and after trials with clubs including Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
, Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
and Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
, he joined Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
on a free transfer in January 2004.
Birmingham City and loans
Kilkenny signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with Birmingham. The club's academy director felt he had "the ability to play at the highest level", and prioritised adding a "work ethic and competitiveness" to his "great technique". The player travelled with the first team for the game at Charlton AthleticCharlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
in April 2004, but was not included in the matchday squad. Perceived as not ready for the first team at Premier League level, he was loaned to League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
club Oldham Athletic
Oldham Athletic A.F.C.
Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is an English association football club based at Boundary Park, on Sheepfoot Lane in Oldham, Greater Manchester. The club currently competes in the Football League One, the third tier of the English league...
in November 2004 to gain first-team experience. He made his debut in the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
as a second-half substitute in Oldham's 3–2 win at home to Barnsley
Barnsley F.C.
Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's...
on 20 November, and scored two goals in his second game, a 3–1 win away to Bradford City
Bradford City A.F.C.
Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....
, four days later. He played a full part in Oldham's season: he took the free kick which led to the winning goal against Premier League Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
in the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
, and ended up as winner of the club's Players' Young Player of the Season award.
At the start of the 2005–06
2005-06 in English football
The 2005–06 season was the 126th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*The rebuilt Wembley Stadium was due to open in time for the FA Cup final in May. However, in August 2005, The Football Association reserved the Millennium Stadium as a backup, as there was some doubt whether...
season he became part of the Birmingham first-team squad, though manager Steve Bruce
Steve Bruce
Stephen Roger "Steve" Bruce is an English football manager and former player. Born in Corbridge, Northumberland, he was a promising schoolboy footballer but was rejected by a number of professional clubs. He was on the verge of quitting the game altogether when he was offered a trial with Gillingham...
warned him that he would not easily find his way into the team. On 20 September 2005, he made his Birmingham first-team debut in the League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
away at Scunthorpe United
Scunthorpe United F.C.
Scunthorpe United Football Club is an English association football team based in the town of Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, who play in the Football League One....
, as a 26th-minute substitute to replace the injured Muzzy Izzet. Four days later, with six other midfielders unavailable through injury or suspension, he made his full home debut against Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
in the Premier League, in which he was sent off late in the game for handling the ball on the goal-line, thus giving Liverpool a penalty
Penalty kick
A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...
and a 2–2 draw. Despite his dismissal, he received words of encouragement from team mates Mikael Forssell
Mikael Forssell
Mikael Kaj Forssell is a Finnish footballer who plays as a striker for Football League Championship team Leeds United and for the Finnish national team.-Club career:...
and Mario Melchiot
Mario Melchiot
Mario Deno Patrik Melchiot is a Dutch football defender who currently plays for Qatari Stars League club Umm Salal. He can play as either a right-back or a central defender, and has also occasionally played in midfield....
for his performance, and went on to make 25 appearances in all competitions, mainly as substitute, as Birmingham were relegated to the Football League Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
. The following season Kilkenny's appearances were infrequent; he started only two games, both in the League Cup. The player became frustrated; while part of the first-team squad, he was rarely part of the first team, yet Bruce was reluctant to allow him out on loan.
It was announced on 30 July 2007 that Kilkenny would again join Oldham on loan until January 2008. The move was blocked following the collapse of Birmingham's purchase of Hossam Ghaly
Hossam Ghaly
Hossam El Sayed Ghali is an Egyptian football midfielder. He is the team captain of the Egyptian Premier League side Al-Ahly. Ghali plays mainly as a central midfielder, less frequently as a right full-back and due to injuries even an outside midfielder...
, but was confirmed a few days later. His last match before he returned to Birmingham was an influential performance as Oldham beat Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
3–1 to become the first team that season to win a League game at Elland Road
Elland Road
Elland Road is an all-seater football stadium in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It has been the permanent residence of Leeds United A.F.C...
.
2008-09 Season
On 4 January 2008 Kilkenny signed for League one team Leeds United on an emergency loan, with a view to ensuring his availability for the next day's game prior to completing a permanent transfer the following week. He made his debut in the 3–0 win over Northampton TownNorthampton Town F.C.
Northampton Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Northampton, Northamptonshire. They currently play in Football League Two, the lowest league division, after being relegated from League One on the last day of the 2008–09 season...
, putting in an impressive performance to get the man of the match
Man of the match
In sport, a Man of the Match or Player of the Game or Man of the Series award is given to the outstanding player, almost always the one who makes the most impact, in a particular match or series. The term was originally used more often in cricket before being adopted by other sports. This can be a...
award. Kilkenny signed a three-and-a-half year permanent contract with Leeds on 7 January for a fee of £150,000. He scored his first goal for the club in their 2–0 win against Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth is an English football club currently playing in Football League One. The club plays at Dean Court in Kings Park, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset and have been in existence since 1899....
in March 2008. Leeds went on to reach the play-off Final that season but lost 1–0 against Doncaster Rovers
Doncaster Rovers F.C.
Doncaster Rovers Football Club is an English football club, based at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The team currently competes in the Football League Championship, after being promoted via the League One play-offs in 2008, and have remained there since.The club was founded in...
. He was then called up to the Australian Olympic team during the summer and missed all of pre season training for Leeds as a result. After a period out of the team and the sacking of Gary McAllister
Gary McAllister
Gary McAllister MBE is a Scottish former professional footballer.McAllister played primarily as a midfielder, in a successful career spanning over nineteen years. He started his career at local side Motherwell before moving south of the border to Leicester City at the age of 20...
Kilkenny regained a spot in the Leeds midfield under the stewardship of new manager Simon Grayson
Simon Grayson
Simon Nicholas Grayson is a retired English footballer and current manager of Leeds United. He is the elder brother of cricketer Paul Grayson....
late in the 2008–09 season.
His 43rd minute goal against Yeovil on 10 March 2009 was a leading contender for the goal of the season. He then followed this up with goals in the 3–2 win against Crewe Alexandra
Crewe Alexandra F.C.
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...
and the 3–1 win against Tranmere Rovers
Tranmere Rovers F.C.
Tranmere Rovers Football Club are an English team based in Birkenhead, Wirral. The club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system...
. Kilkenny was part of the Leeds team who were knocked out of the play-off semi finals, with him being injured and having to be substituted in the first half of the second leg against Millwall at Elland Road. Many observers saw this as a big turning point in the tie, as Leeds lost the fluidity of Kilkenny's passing ability.
2009-10 Season
Doncaster made their interest in signing Kilkenny public during the summer but Leeds knocked back any approaches for Kilkenny. After missing the entire pre season of 2009–10 through the injury he sustained against Millwall (the second pre season in a row he missed), Kilkenny found himself trying to regain fitness and a place on the bench for Leeds once the season was in full flow. With seven subs required for the 2009–10 season Kilkenny originally found himself used mainly as a substitute in games earlier in the season, coming on in games to try to make an impact.Kilkenny started his first league game of the season in the top of the table 0–0 draw against Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
and also started the next game in the Football League Trophy win against Darlington. He scored his first goal of the season for Leeds in the 3–1 win against Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...
, the goal rounding off a fine passing move and a one-two with Jermaine Beckford
Jermaine Beckford
Jermaine Paul Alexander Beckford is an English footballer who plays for Leicester City as a striker. He started his career as a trainee at Chelsea...
, before calmly stroking the ball into the bottom right corner. Kilkenny also received the man of the match award in the same game. He scored in the game against Brighton & Hove Albion, making it two goals in two games. He also provided an assist for Beckford and got his second man of the match award in a row. Kilkenny scored his third goal of the season against his former club Oldham; the goal was assisted by Max Gradel
Max Gradel
Max-Alain Gradel is an Ivorian footballer who plays for Saint-Étienne in the French Ligue 1 after joining from Leeds United....
and it was Kilkenny's third goal in his last five games. Kilkenny's fourth goal of the season came against Accrington Stanley
Accrington Stanley F.C.
Accrington Stanley is an English association football club from Accrington in Lancashire, in the North West of England, who play in Football League Two, the fourth-highest division in the English football league system....
with a rare headed goal, and carrying on his impressive goalscoring form. He gained yet another assist for Leeds when he set up Beckford's first goal against Hartlepool United.
Kilkenny played against Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
when Leeds won 1–0 away at Old Trafford
Old Trafford
Old Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...
on 3 January in the FA Cup. He was at the heart of the midfield for Leeds when they earned a 2–2 draw against Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
in the FA Cup on 23 January 2010. He was substituted against Swindon Town, and was omitted from Leeds' lineup against Colchester United after being ruled out by injury. The injury also forced him to miss the FA Cup replay at Elland Road against Tottenham Hotspur and the league 1 game against Hartlepool United
Hartlepool United F.C.
Hartlepool United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Hartlepool that currently play in League One. The team won promotion to League One in the 2006–07 season...
. Kilkenny returned to the bench for Leeds after injury against Carlisle United
Carlisle United F.C.
Carlisle United F.C. is an English football club based in Carlisle, Cumbria, where they play at Brunton Park. Formed in 1904, the club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system....
in the Football League Trophy Northern Final second leg. He came on as a second half substitute and put in an impressive performance for Leeds in a 3–2 victory, also having a scuffle with his teammate Max Gradel
Max Gradel
Max-Alain Gradel is an Ivorian footballer who plays for Saint-Étienne in the French Ligue 1 after joining from Leeds United....
during injury time, although Leeds ended up losing the tie after losing the penalty shootout 6–5, with Kilkenny converting one of the penalties for Leeds.
Kilkenny came back into the starting lineup for the next game against Leyton Orient
Leyton Orient F.C.
Leyton Orient F.C. are an English professional football club in East London. They currently play in Football League One and are known to their fans as the O's.Leyton Orient have spent one season in the top flight of English football, in 1962–63...
after fully recovering from his injury. He played an instrumental part as Leeds were promoted to the Football League Championship after finishing in 2nd place in League One and thus earning automatic promotion.
2010-11 Season
Kilkenny scored his first goal of the 2010–11 season, in the carling cup match against Lincoln CityLincoln City F.C.
Lincoln City Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of the Conference National in 2011–12 following relegation from the Football League....
when he scored a penalty for Leeds. Kilkenny has gained several assists for Leeds in the first few weeks of the season, including two assists for Jonathan Howson
Jonathan Howson
Jonathan Mark "Jonny" Howson is an English footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Football League Championship team Leeds United. A graduate of Leeds' prolific youth system, he serves as club captain....
and Davide Somma
Davide Somma
Davide Somma is a South African football player who currently plays for Leeds United and the South African national team. He plays as a striker. In November 2010 Somma made his debut for the national side against USA....
in Leeds 5–2 defeat against Barnsley After being an ever present for Leeds, Kilkenny was named on the bench in the game against Sheffield United. November 2010 Kilkenny entered contract negotiations with Leeds over extending his contract November 2010 Kilkenny was subject to interest from other clubs who are monitoring his contract situation at Leeds.
On 21 December 2010 Kilkenny revealed that his desire to sign a new contract and to stay at Leeds United. Kilkenny was named in the final 23 man squad for Australia's squad for the Asian Cup on 27 December, meaning he will miss an entire month of the season for Leeds including the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
tie against his old club Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
. On 7 January, Kilkenny revealed he was gutted to be missing the FA Cup tie, but he would be watching it whilst on international duty for Australia.
Kilkenny confirmed that he wanted to stay at Leeds on 10 January, beyond his initial contract, and was hoping to sign a new deal at the club. After missing several games for Leeds by playing for Australia at the Asian Cup, Kilkenny returned to the Leeds squad and was named on the bench against Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
. Before re-gaining his place in the starting 11 in the following game vs Bristol City. Kilkenny scored his first league goal and just his second goal of the season with a hard effort from outside the box against Preston North End. 11 May, Kilkenny announced that he would like to stay at Leeds as long as Leeds wanted to keep him. Leeds chairman, Ken Bates
Ken Bates
Kenneth William Bates is a British businessman and football executive. The current chairman and now owner of Leeds United AFC, Bates was previously chairman and majority shareholder of Chelsea FC from 1982 until 2003....
announced on 12 May, that Kilkenny was set to leave the club after the club and player couldn't agree on a new contract extension Kilkenny revealed that when he leaves Leeds that he would like to stay in Europe after reports had linked him to a move to the Australian A-League. Leeds announced on their official website on 27 May that Kilkenny had failed to respond to Leeds' offer of a new contract and that he would most likely be leaving the club, so that they could sort out their other transfer targets.
Bristol City
On 16 June 2011, Kilkenny showed an interest in moving to Leeds' Yorkshire rivals Hull CityHull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
. On 24 June, Kilkenny signed for fellow Championship team Bristol City
Bristol City F.C.
Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...
on a three year contract after turning down Leeds' new offer and also several Championship teams interest in him.
Kilkenny said before the game against Leeds that he never wanted to leave Leeds. Kilkenny returned to his prior club Leeds United on 17 September when Bristol City came to Elland Road, with Kilkenny scoring his first goal for Bristol in the same game. Kilkenny revealed before the game that he felt Leeds Chairman Ken Bates has always got something to say and sometimes he needs to keep quiet.
International career
Kilkenny was born in England but having moved to Australia at a young age,where he grew up, he was eligible to play internationally for Australia, England and IrelandRepublic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
. He previously played for England Under 20's, but shortly before the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
he committed to play for Australia. He was among a group of young players, selected by manager Guus Hiddink
Guus Hiddink
Guus Hiddink is a Dutch football manager and former player. He was the most recently manager of the Turkish national football team. He is considered to be one of the best managers of his generation and was the best-paid coach in international football in 2009...
, who trained with the Australian squad in Holland and Germany prior to the tournament. Kilkenny made his international debut for Australia on 7 June 2006, coming on as a late substitute in their 3–1 victory in a World Cup warm-up game against Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein national football team
The Liechtenstein national football team is the national football team of Liechtenstein and is controlled by the Liechtenstein Football Association. The organisation is known as the Liechtensteiner Fussballverband in German. The team's first match was an unofficial match against Malta in Seoul, a...
in Ulm
Ulm
Ulm is a city in the federal German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the River Danube. The city, whose population is estimated at 120,000 , forms an urban district of its own and is the administrative seat of the Alb-Donau district. Ulm, founded around 850, is rich in history and...
, Germany.
In 2007 he was a part of the Australian Olyroos
Australia national under-23 football team
The Australia Olympic football team, more commonly known as the Olyroos, is controlled by Football Federation Australia and represents Australia at association football in the Olympic Games...
for the 2008 Beijing Olympics qualifying campaign
2008 AFC Men's Pre-Olympic Tournament
The Asian Football Confederation's Pre-Olympic Tournament was held from 7 February to 21 November 2007. Twenty-four teams entered the qualification for the three allocated spots for the 2008 Summer Olympics Football tournament in Beijing....
. In June 2008 he was one of 33 players called up for a pre-Olympic training camp prior to selection of the final 18-man squad. He was included in the final 18-man squad and did manage to play one game in the olympics for Australia, who were knocked out in the group stages. After Leeds' win over Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
, Australia have sent scouts to watch Kilkenny with regards to Australia's World Cup Squad with the match providing to be a high profile game to put Kilkenny back on the World Cup radar, however Kilkenny wasn't selected by Pim Verbeek for the World Cup Squad.
On 16 December 2010 Kilkenny was selected in Australia's provisional squad for the Asian Cup tournament, before being named in the final 23 man squad for Australia's squad for the Asian Cup on 27 December. Kilkenny came on as a second half substitute against UAE in a warm up game for the Asian Cup. He played his first game in the Asian Cup when he came on as a second half substitute against Bahrain. In the quarter final match, against reigning champions Iraq, Kilkenny made an appearance in the 109th minute, during a 1–0 win. Kilkenny played in the Asian Cup Final, however Australia lost 1–0 to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
after extra time.
June 2011, Kilkenny started for Australia in the 3–0 win over New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
Leeds United
- Coca-Cola League One Runners Up (Promoted): 2009–2010
- League OneFootball League OneFootball League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
Playoff final runner up 2007–082009–10 Football LeagueThe Football League 2009–10, called the Coca-Cola Football League for sponsorship reasons, was the 110th completed season of the Football League. It began in August 2009 and concluded in May 2010, with the promotion play-off finals. The Football League is contested through three Divisions. The...
Career statistics
Correct as of 23 April 2011! colspan=3|League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
! colspan=3|FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
! colspan=3|League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
! colspan=3|FL Trophy
Football League Trophy
The Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...
! colspan=3|Play-Offs
Football League Play-Offs
The Football League play-offs are an annual series of football matches to determine some of the promotion places within the Football League. Essentially, each division of the league offers a certain number of automatic promotion places to the top two or three clubs. A further promotion place is...
! colspan=3|Total>
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
> 27
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
> 8
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
> 20
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
> 16
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
> 30
2009–10 Football League
The Football League 2009–10, called the Coca-Cola Football League for sponsorship reasons, was the 110th completed season of the Football League. It began in August 2009 and concluded in May 2010, with the promotion play-off finals. The Football League is contested through three Divisions. The...
>
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
> 35
2010–11 Football League
The Football League 2010–11, called the Npower Football League, was the 111th completed season of the Football League. It began in August 2010 and concluded in May 2011, with the promotion play-off finals....
>
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
> 37
2011–12 Football League
The Football League 2011–12, called the Npower Football League, is the 112th season of the Football League. It began in August 2011 and will conclude in May 2012, with the promotion play-off finals....
>
Bristol City F.C.
Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
> 16
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