Dane Kelly

Dane Kelly (born 9 February 1991) is a Jamaican professional footballer who plays as a striker for Charlotte Independence. With 85 regular season goals, Kelly is the all-time leading scorer in the USL Championship.

Dane Kelly
Kelly with the Riverhounds, April 2022
Personal information
Full name Dane Kelly
Date of birth (1991-02-09) 9 February 1991
Place of birth Saint Catherine Parish, Jamaica
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 Charlotte Independence
Number 9
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2010–2014 Tivoli Gardens 37+ (10)
2011–2013 → Charleston Battery (loan) 62 (21)
2014–2015 Charleston Battery 45 (21)
2016 Swope Park Rangers 20 (6)
2017 Reno 1868 27 (18)
2018 D.C. United 1 (0)
2018 → Richmond Kickers (loan) 4 (1)
2019 Indy Eleven 32 (10)
2020 Charlotte Independence 16 (11)
2021 Bnei Sakhnin 15 (0)
2021 Charlotte Independence 23 (11)
2022 Pittsburgh Riverhounds 23 (7)
2023– Charlotte Independence 31 (8)
International career‡
2017– Jamaica 3 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 14 October 2023
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 14 October 2018

Professional career

Tivoli Gardens

Kelly began his career in his native Jamaica with top-flight Jamaica National Premier League side Tivoli Gardens. He led the U21 JPL league in scoring in 2010–2011 with 15 goals.

Charleston Battery

Kelly moved to the United States in 2011 after to attend open tryouts with the Charleston Battery after being spotted by the club during a scouting trip to Jamaica. After impressing coach Mike Anhaeuser during a 2011 Carolina Challenge Cup game against Toronto FC,[1] Kelly signed with the Battery on 16 March[2] and made his debut with the team on 9 April 2011 in a game against the Charlotte Eagles.

In 2014, Kelly was named the club's player of the year and earned first team all-USL honors. In 2015, he scored 11 goals in 26 league appearances and had a man of the match performance with a goal and an assist in a 3–2 victory over NASL side Fort Lauderdale Strikers in the third round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. With his final goal of the season, the 42nd of his Charleston career, Kelly became the all-time leading scorer in the current United Soccer League, passing Matthew Delicate.

Swope Park Rangers

Kelly signed with Sporting Kansas City's USL affiliate side Swope Park Rangers on 16 December 2015.[3] He scored his first goal for the club on 2 April against Tulsa Roughnecks FC.[4] Kelly suffered a hamstring injury that ruled him out for nine games before returning against Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 on 12 June.[5]

Reno 1868

Kelly signed with Reno 1868 of the USL in 2017. He earned the 2017 USL MVP and Golden Boot award, leading the league with 18 goals scored.[6]

D.C. United

On 9 March 2018, Kelly signed with MLS club D.C. United.[7] He scored his first unofficial goal for D.C. on 19 September 2018, in a friendly against C.D. Olimpia.[8]

Indy Eleven

On 16 January 2019, Kelly signed with USL Championship side Indy Eleven.[9]

Charlotte Independence

On 27 January 2020, Kelly moved again, joining USL Championship side Charlotte Independence.[10] He scored a hat trick against Charlotte's in-state rival North Carolina FC on 5 September 2020.[11]

Bnei Sakhnin

In early 2021, Kelly signed with Israeli Premier League side Bnei Sakhnin. His only goal for the club came in an Israel State Cup game against Hapoel Hadera.[12][13]

Return to Charlotte Independence

On 19 May 2021, Kelly re-signed with Charlotte Independence following his spell in Israel.[14]

Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC

Following the 2021 season, Charlotte Independence voluntarily self-relegated to USL League One. Kelly stayed in the USL Championship by signing with Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC on January 7, 2022.[15] On March 15, 2022, Kelly was named USL Championship Player of the Week for Week 1, having scored his 100th regular season goal in the league against Memphis 901 on March 12, 2022.[16]

Third spell at Charlotte Independence

On 2 March 2023, Kelly returned to Charlotte Independence for the third time, joining ahead of the 2023 USL League One season.[17]

International career

In 2017, Kelly was called up to the Jamaica senior national team. He scored his first goal against South Korea an exhibition match that ended 2–2[18]

Career statistics

Club
As of 4 May 2019[19][20][21]
Club Season League Cup[lower-alpha 1] Continental Other[lower-alpha 2] Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Tivoli Gardens 2009–10 National Premier League 0100––01+
2010–11 National Premier League 0000––00
2011–12 National Premier League 19200––19+2+
2012–13 National Premier League 16600––16+6+
2013–14 National Premier League 2100––2+1+
Total 37+1000000037+10+
Charleston Battery (loan) 2011 USL Pro 22521–10256
2012 17511–00186
2013 231121–212713
Charleston Battery 2014 191012–112113
2015 USL 261122–213014
Total 1074287006312152
Swope Park Rangers 2016 USL 206––42248
Reno 1868 2017 USL 271800–102818
D.C. United 2018 MLS 1010–0020
Richmond Kickers (loan) 2018 USL 4100––41
Indy Eleven 2019 USL Championship 8400–0084
Career total 204+81+9+7+00115224+93+
  1. All appearances in the U.S. Open Cup
  2. All appearances in the USL Cup Playoffs

International goals
Scores and results list Jamaica's goal tally first.[21]
#DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.30 January 2018Mardan Sports Complex, Antalya, Turkey South Korea1–02–2Friendly
2.14 October 2018Ergilio Hato Stadium, Willemstad, Curaçao Bonaire6–06–02019–20 CONCACAF Nations League qualification

Honors

References
  1. "Battery Rallies To Beat Toronto FC". Archived from the original on 13 March 2012. Retrieved 11 April 2011.
  2. "DataSphere". danielisland.live5news.com.
  3. "Dane Kelly, USL's top scorer, among four players signed by Swope Park Rangers". 16 December 2015.
  4. Bergabo, Patrik. "Recap: Swope Park Rangers earn 2–1 win on the road against Tulsa Roughnecks FC".
  5. Bergabo, Patrik. "Recap: Swope Park Rangers suffer 3–2 defeat against Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2".
  6. "USL Race for the Golden Boot". United Soccer League. 16 October 2017. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
  7. Goff, Steven. "D.C. United seems certain to add Costa Rican defender, Jamaican forward". The Washington Post.
  8. "Goal: Kelly scores first goal for the Black-and-Red". 20 September 2018. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
  9. "INDY ELEVEN SIGN DC UNITED FORWARD DANE KELLY". www.indyeleven.com. Archived from the original on 16 April 2019. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  10. "Independence Pick up Championship All-Time Leading Scorer". 27 January 2020.
  11. Murray, Nicholas (5 September 2020). "Kelly's Hat Trick Leads Independence Past NCFC". USLChampionship.com. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
  12. "Maccabi Haifa edges Hapoel Umm al Fahm".
  13. "Jamaica - D. Kelly - Profile with news, career statistics and history - Soccerway".
  14. "Forward Dane Kelly Re-Signs with Charlotte Independence for 2021 Season". 19 May 2021.
  15. "ALL-TIME USL CHAMPIONSHIP SCORING LEADER DANE KELLY JOINING HOUNDS". Riverhounds.com. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  16. "USL Championship Team of the Week – Week 1". uslchampionship.com. 15 March 2022. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
  17. "Former USL Championship MVP and Golden Boot Winner Dane Kelly Returns to Charlotte - Charlotte Independence".
  18. nicholas.murray@uslsoccer.com, NICHOLAS MURRAY - (29 August 2017). "Reno's Kelly Earns Jamaica Call-Up".
  19. Dane Kelly at Soccerway. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  20. Dane Kelly at Major League Soccer
  21. "Dane Kelly". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
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