Neil Martin Kilkenny (born 19 December 1985) is a professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby ...
who plays for Australian club
Western United
Western United Football Club is an Australian professional football club. The club is based in the western Melbourne suburb of Truganina, the club aims to represent western Victoria, incorporating the western suburbs of Melbourne; the region ...
. A
midfielder
A midfielder is an outfield position in association football.
Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...
, he began his career in the youth system at
Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
, and went on to play league football for
Oldham Athletic
Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is a professional football club in Oldham, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system.
The history of Oldham Athletic ...
,
Birmingham City
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional football club based in Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, it was renamed Small Heath in 1888, Birmingham in 1905, and Birmingham City in 1943. Since 2011, the first te ...
,
Leeds United
Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire in England. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of England's football league system, and plays its home matches at Elland Road S ...
,
Bristol City
Bristol City Football Club is a professional football club based in Bristol, England, which compete in the , the second tier of English football. They have played their home games at Ashton Gate since moving from St John's Lane in 1904. The ...
,
Preston North End
Preston North End Football Club, commonly referred to as Preston, North End or PNE, is a professional football club in Preston, Lancashire, England, who currently play in the EFL Championship, the second tier of the English football league syste ...
,
Melbourne City and
Perth Glory
Perth Glory Football Club is an Australian professional soccer club based in Perth, Western Australia. It competes in the country's premier men's competition, A-League Men, under licence from Australian Professional Leagues.
Founded in 19 ...
before joining
Western United
Western United Football Club is an Australian professional football club. The club is based in the western Melbourne suburb of Truganina, the club aims to represent western Victoria, incorporating the western suburbs of Melbourne; the region ...
in 2021.
Kilkenny was born in England, has Irish grandparents, and was raised in Australia. He played youth international football for both England and Ireland before committing to Australia. He has 14
caps
Caps are flat headgear.
Caps or CAPS may also refer to:
Science and technology Computing
* CESG Assisted Products Service, provided by the U.K. Government Communications Headquarters
* Composite Application Platform Suite, by Java Caps, a Java ...
for
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
, and competed for the country at the
2008 Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and also known as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 Nati ...
.
Early life and career
Born in
Enfield
Enfield may refer to:
Places Australia
* Enfield, New South Wales
* Enfield, South Australia
** Electoral district of Enfield, a state electoral district in South Australia, corresponding to the suburb
** Enfield High School (South Australia)
...
, London, Kilkenny moved to Australia with his family at the age of four, and grew up in
Brisbane
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...
.
[ A promising schoolboy footballer, he captained the ]Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, established_ ...
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
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
's youth development scheme, and while a student at Ravenscroft School, Barnet
Barnet may refer to:
People
*Barnet (surname)
* Barnet (given name)
Places United Kingdom
*Chipping Barnet or High Barnet, commonly known as Barnet, one of three focal towns of the borough below.
*East Barnet, a district of the borough below; an ...
, 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 Republic of Ireland under-19s, qualifying via grandparents from ]Sligo
Sligo ( ; ga, Sligeach , meaning 'abounding in shells') is a coastal seaport and the county town of County Sligo, Ireland, within the western province of Connacht. With a population of approximately 20,000 in 2016, it is the List of urban areas ...
, and for England under-18s. However, he became unhappy at Arsenal, chose to leave the club,[ and after trials with clubs including ]Aston Villa
Aston Villa Football Club is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club competes in the , the top tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1874, they have played at their home ground, Villa Park ...
, Manchester City
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The tw ...
and Leicester City
Leicester ( ) is a city, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands.
The city lies on the River Soar and close to the eastern end of the National ...
, he joined Birmingham City
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional football club based in Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, it was renamed Small Heath in 1888, Birmingham in 1905, and Birmingham City in 1943. Since 2011, the first te ...
on a free transfer in January 2004.
Club career
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 Athletic
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, south-east London, which compete in . Their home ground is The Valley, where the club have played since 1919. They have also played at The Mount in C ...
in April 2004, but was not included in the matchday squad. Perceived as not ready for the first team at Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
level, he was loaned to League One
The English Football League One (often referred to as League One for short or Sky Bet League One for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League One from 2004 until 2016) is the second-highest division of the English Football Leag ...
club Oldham Athletic
Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is a professional football club in Oldham, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system.
The history of Oldham Athletic ...
in November 2004 to gain first-team experience. He made his debut in the Football League
The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...
as a second-half substitute in Oldham's 3–2 win at home to Barnsley
Barnsley () is a market town in South Yorkshire, England. As the main settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley and the fourth largest settlement in South Yorkshire. In Barnsley, the population was 96,888 while the wider Borough has ...
on 20 November, and scored two goals in his second game, a 3–1 win away to Bradford City
Bradford City Association Football Club is an English professional football club in Bradford, West Yorkshire. The team competes in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system and are currently managed by Mark Hughes.
Th ...
, 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 () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The tw ...
in the FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
, 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
Stephen Roger Bruce (born 31 December 1960) is an English professional Manager (association football), football manager and former Football player, player who played as a centre-back. He most recently managed West Bromwich Albion F.C., West Br ...
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
In several sports, most prominently association football, a league cup or secondary cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament t ...
away at Scunthorpe United, as a 26th-minute substitute to replace the injured Muzzy Izzet
Mustafa Kemal "Muzzy" Izzet (; tr, İzzet; born 31 October 1974) is a former professional footballer who played as a midfielder for Chelsea, Leicester City, Birmingham City. Born in England, he represented the Turkey national team internationa ...
. Four days later, with six other midfielders unavailable through injury or suspension, he made his full home debut against Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
in the Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
, in which he was sent off late in the game for handling the ball on the goal-line, thus giving Liverpool a penalty
Penalty or The Penalty may refer to:
Sports
* Penalty (golf)
* Penalty (gridiron football)
* Penalty (ice hockey)
* Penalty (rugby)
* Penalty (rugby union)
* Penalty kick (association football)
* Penalty shoot-out (association football)
A p ...
and a 2–2 draw. Despite his dismissal, he received words of encouragement from teammates Mikael Forssell
Mikael Kaj Forssell (born 15 March 1981) is a Finnish former football striker.
Forssell began his professional career in 1997 for HJK, having progressed through the team's youth teams, but he only remained at the club for a single season, mak ...
and Mario Melchiot
Mario Dino Patrick Melchiot (born 4 November 1976) is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a defender. He played both as a right-back and as a centre-back, and also occasionally played in midfield.
Early life
Melchiot was born ...
for his performance,[ and went on to make 25 appearances in all competitions, mainly as substitute, as Birmingham were relegated to the ]Championship
In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.
Championship systems
Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship.
Title match system
In this system ...
.[ 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 Mohamed El Sayed Metwalli Abdel Sattar Ghaly ( ar, حسام محمد السيد متولي عبد الستار غالي; born 21 October 1981) is an Egyptian member of parliament. He is currently member of House of Representatives and boar ...
, 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 Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire in England. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of England's football league system, and plays its home matches at Elland Road S ...
3–1 to become the first team that season to win a League game at Elland Road
Elland Road is a football stadium in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, which has been the home of Premier League club Leeds United since the club's formation in 1919. The stadium is the 14th largest football stadium in England.
The g ...
.
Leeds United
2007–08 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 Town
Northampton Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Northampton, England. The team plays in , the fourth tier of the English football league system.
Founded in 1897, the club competed in the Midland ...
, putting in an impressive performance to get the man of the match
In team sport, a player of the match or man of the match or woman of the match award is often given to the most outstanding player in a particular match. This can be a player from either team, although the player is generally chosen from the winn ...
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 AFC Bournemouth
AFC Bournemouth () is a professional association football club based in Kings Park, Boscombe, a suburb of Bournemouth, Dorset, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest division of English club football. Formed in 1899 as B ...
in March.[ Leeds went on to reach the play-off final that season but lost 1–0 against ]Doncaster Rovers
Doncaster Rovers Football Club is a professional association football club based in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. The team compete in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. The club play their home games at ...
.[ 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. ]
2008–09 season
After a period out of the team and the sacking of Gary McAllister
Gary McAllister MBE (born 25 December 1964) is a Scottish professional football coach and former player.
McAllister played primarily as a midfielder in a career spanning over nineteen years. He started his career at local side Motherwell b ...
Kilkenny regained a spot in the Leeds midfield under the stewardship of new manager Simon Grayson
Simon Nicholas Grayson (born 16 December 1969) is an English professional football manager and former player who is the current head coach of Indian Super League club Bengaluru.
As a player, he was a right back, but he was also utilised in m ...
late in the 2008–09 season.[
His 43rd-minute goal against ]Yeovil Town Yeovil Town may refer to:
* Yeovil Town F.C., an English football team based in Yeovil, Somerset
* Yeovil Town L.F.C.
Bridgwater United Women's Football Club are an English women's association football club based in Bridgwater, Somerset who wer ...
on 10 March 2009 was a leading contender for the goal of the season. He followed this up with goals in the 3–2 win against Crewe Alexandra
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Crewe, Cheshire, that competes in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. Nicknamed 'The Railwaymen' because of ...
and the 3–1 win against Tranmere Rovers
Tranmere Rovers Football Club is a professional association football club based in Birkenhead, Merseyside, England. The team compete in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1884 as Belmont Football Club, they ado ...
.[ Kilkenny was part of the Leeds team who were knocked out of the play-off semi-final by ]Millwall
Millwall is a district on the western and southern side of the Isle of Dogs, in east London, England, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It lies to the immediate south of Canary Wharf and Limehouse, north of Greenwich and Deptford, east ...
; he injured an ankle and was substituted in the first half of the second leg at Elland Road.
2009–10 season
Doncaster made their interest in signing Kilkenny public during the summer but Grayson made it clear that he was not for sale. After again missing pre-season, this time because of ankle trouble, Kilkenny found himself trying to regain fitness and a place on the bench once the season was in full flow. With seven substitutes required for the 2009–10 season, he was used mainly as an impact substitute in the early part of the season.
Kilkenny started his first league game of the season in the top-of-the-table goalless draw with Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, south-east London, which compete in . Their home ground is The Valley, where the club have played since 1919. They have also played at The Mount in C ...
[ and also started the next game in the Football League Trophy win against ]Darlington
Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, County Durham, England. The River Skerne flows through the town; it is a tributary of the River Tees. The Tees itself flows south of the town.
In the 19th century, Darlington underwen ...
.[ He scored his first goal of the season for Leeds in the 3–1 win against ]Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town Football Club is a professional football club based in Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, England, that in the 2022–23 season will compete in , the fourth tier of the English football league system, following the victory in ...
in the Trophy, " layinga give-and-go with Jermaine Beckford before tucking the ball into the far corner". Kilkenny also received the man of the match award in the same game.[ He scored in his next match, against ]Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club (), commonly referred to simply as Brighton, is an English professional football club based in the city of Brighton and Hove. They compete in the Premier League, the top tier of the English football league ...
, as well as providing an assist for Beckford, and made it three in five when he scored against his former club Oldham.[ Kilkenny's fourth goal of the season came in December, with a rare header against ]Accrington Stanley
Accrington Stanley Football Club is a professional association football club based in Accrington, Lancashire, England. The club competes in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. They have spent their complete history ...
. A few days later he provided yet another assist when he set up Beckford's first goal against Hartlepool United
Hartlepool United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Hartlepool, County Durham, England. The team competes in EFL League Two, League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system.
They were founded i ...
.
Kilkenny played against Manchester United
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
when Leeds won 1–0 away at Old Trafford
Old Trafford () is a football stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, and the home of Manchester United. With a capacity of 74,310 it is the largest club football stadium (and second-largest football stadium overall after Wemb ...
on 3 January in the FA Cup. He was at the heart of Leeds' midfield in the 2–2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as Tottenham () or Spurs, is a professional association football, football club based in Tottenham, London, England. It competes in the Premier League, the top flight of English footba ...
in the next round of the FA Cup. He missed the cup replay through injury, and returned to the bench against Carlisle United
Carlisle United Football Club ( , ) is a professional association football club based in Carlisle, Cumbria, England. The team compete in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. They have played their home games at Brunton Par ...
in the Football League Trophy Northern Final second leg. He came on as a second-half substitute and helped Leeds win the match 3–2, making the score 4–4 on aggregate. The match went to penalties
Penalty or The Penalty may refer to:
Sports
* Penalty (golf)
* Penalty (gridiron football)
* Penalty (ice hockey)
* Penalty (rugby)
* Penalty (rugby union)
* Penalty kick (association football)
* Penalty shoot-out (association football)
* Penalty ...
: Kilkenny converted his kick but Leeds lost 6–5.
Kilkenny came back into the starting line-up for the next game against Leyton Orient
Leyton Orient Football Club is a professional football club based in Leyton, East London, England, who compete in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. They are the second oldest football club in London to play at a professio ...
after fully recovering from his injury. By the time Leeds equalised, via a 95th-minute own goal
An own goal, also called a self goal, is where a player performs actions that result in them or their team scoring a goal on themselves, often resulting in a point for the opposing team, such as when a football player kicks a ball into their own ...
, Kilkenny had been substituted. He played an instrumental part as Leeds were promoted to the Football League Championship after finishing second in League One and thus earning automatic promotion.
2010–11 season
Kilkenny scored his first goal of the 2010–11 season with a penalty in the League Cup match against Lincoln City.[ He made several assists for Leeds in the first few weeks of the season, including two, for ]Jonny Howson
Jonathan Mark Howson (born 21 May 1988) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Middlesbrough in the Championship.
Howson started his professional career at Leeds United, where he made 225 appearances following his d ...
and Davide Somma, in Leeds' 5–2 defeat against Barnsley
Barnsley () is a market town in South Yorkshire, England. As the main settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley and the fourth largest settlement in South Yorkshire. In Barnsley, the population was 96,888 while the wider Borough has ...
. After being ever-present for Leeds, Kilkenny was named on the bench for the game against Sheffield United
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional football club in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, which compete in the . They are nicknamed "the Blades" due to Sheffield's history of cutlery production. The team have played home games at ...
. In November, Kilkenny entered negotiations with Leeds over extending his contract amid interest from other clubs.
Kilkenny said in December that he was keen to sign a new contract with Leeds. Kilkenny was named in Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
's final 23-man squad for the 2011 Asian Cup in January 2011, so would miss a month of Leeds' season;[ he said he was "gutted" to be missing the FA Cup tie against his old club Arsenal.
In January he repeated his desire to stay with Leeds, He returned from international duty to be named on the bench against ]Hull City
Hull City Association Football Club is a professional football club based in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England, that compete in the . They have played home games at the MKM Stadium since moving from Boothferry Park in 2002. The club's t ...
. He scored his first league goal of the season with a "spectacular 20-yard shot" against Preston North End
Preston North End Football Club, commonly referred to as Preston, North End or PNE, is a professional football club in Preston, Lancashire, England, who currently play in the EFL Championship, the second tier of the English football league syste ...
. At the end of the season, it became clear that club and player were unlikely to agree terms on a new contract, and on 26 May, manager Simon Grayson
Simon Nicholas Grayson (born 16 December 1969) is an English professional football manager and former player who is the current head coach of Indian Super League club Bengaluru.
As a player, he was a right back, but he was also utilised in m ...
said that neither Kilkenny nor his agent had responded to the club's offer and he was "keen to move on" in terms of planning for next season. Kilkenny said that despite speculation linking him with a move to the Australian A-League
A-League Men (known as the Isuzu UTE A-League for sponsorship reasons) is the highest-level professional men's soccer league in Australia and New Zealand. At the top of the Australian league system, it is the country's premier men's competiti ...
, he wanted "to play at the highest level and that's in Europe".
Bristol City
On 16 June 2011, Kilkenny showed an interest in moving to Leeds' Yorkshire rivals Hull City. On 24 June, he signed for fellow Championship team Bristol City
Bristol City Football Club is a professional football club based in Bristol, England, which compete in the , the second tier of English football. They have played their home games at Ashton Gate since moving from St John's Lane in 1904. The ...
on a three-year contract after turning down offers from Leeds and from other Championship clubs. Ahead of his return to Elland Road with Bristol City on 17 September, he told the ''Yorkshire Evening Post
The ''Yorkshire Evening Post'' is a daily evening publication (delivered to newsagents every morning) published by Yorkshire Post Newspapers in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The paper provides a regional slant on the day's news, and traditio ...
'' he had never wanted to leave the club, and in response to Leeds' chairman Ken Bates
Kenneth William Bates (born 4 December 1931) is a British businessman, football executive and hotelier. He was involved in the development of Wembley Stadium and is the former owner and chairman of football clubs Chelsea and Leeds United.
Bate ...
' comment that "Kilkenny wanted to leave for a big club and ended up at Bristol City", he felt that Bates "has always got something to say and sometimes he needs to keep quiet." Kilkenny scored his first goal for Bristol City in that match.[
On 29 March 2013, Kilkenny reached his 250th career league appearance with Bristol City against Derby County.
]
Preston North End
Kilkenny joined Preston North End
Preston North End Football Club, commonly referred to as Preston, North End or PNE, is a professional football club in Preston, Lancashire, England, who currently play in the EFL Championship, the second tier of the English football league syste ...
on 14 November 2013 on an initial one-month loan. On 6 January 2014, he signed for the club permanently until the end of the season. Kilkenny played the whole match as Preston beat Swindon Town
Swindon Town Football Club is a professional football club based in Swindon, Wiltshire, England. The team currently competes in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. The club has played home matches at the County Ground sin ...
in the 2015 League One play-off final to gain promotion to the Championship.
He was released at the end of the 2015–16 season.
Melbourne City
On 19 July 2016, Kilkenny joined A-League
A-League Men (known as the Isuzu UTE A-League for sponsorship reasons) is the highest-level professional men's soccer league in Australia and New Zealand. At the top of the Australian league system, it is the country's premier men's competiti ...
club Melbourne City on a two-year deal. He made his first appearance in a City shirt in a 5–0 friendly match win over Port Melbourne SC
Port Melbourne SC is an Australian soccer club based in Port Melbourne, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria. The club was formed in 1968 by local Greek Australians, and was promoted over the years to the Victorian Premier League in 1994. It spent th ...
on 20 July 2016.
Kilkenny's performances over the season earned him Melbourne City's Player of the Year award for 2016–17.
In January 2018, Melbourne City released Kilkenny.
Perth Glory
A couple of days after being released by Melbourne City, Kilkenny joined Perth Glory
Perth Glory Football Club is an Australian professional soccer club based in Perth, Western Australia. It competes in the country's premier men's competition, A-League Men, under licence from Australian Professional Leagues.
Founded in 19 ...
wearing the number 88 jersey until the end of the season. On 24 February, Kilkenny scores his first goal for Perth Glory in a 2–1 victory against his former team, Melbourne City.
International career
Kilkenny, who was born in England with Irish grandparents, moved to Australia at a young age and grew up there, so was eligible to play internationally for Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
, England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
and the Republic of Ireland
Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern side of the island. A ...
. He played for Ireland at under-19 level and for England under-20s,[ but shortly before the 2006 World Cup he committed to Australia. He was among a group of young players, selected by manager ]Guus Hiddink
Guus Hiddink (; born 8 November 1946) is a Dutch former football manager and professional player. He enjoyed a long career playing as a midfielder in his native Netherlands. Retired as player in 1982, Hiddink went into management, leading both c ...
, who trained with the Australian squad in Germany prior to the tournament, and made his international debut 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 (), officially the Principality of Liechtenstein (german: link=no, Fürstentum Liechtenstein), is a German-speaking microstate located in the Alps between Austria and Switzerland. Liechtenstein is a semi-constitutional monarchy ...
in Ulm
Ulm () is a city in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the river Danube on the border with Bavaria. The city, which has an estimated population of more than 126,000 (2018), forms an urban district of its own (german: link=no, ...
, 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 played one game in the Olympics for Australia, who were knocked out in the group stages. After Leeds' FA Cup win over Manchester United put Kilkenny back on the international radar, Australia sent scouts to watch him as a possibility for the 2010 World Cup
, image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg
, size = 200px
, caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...
squad, but manager Pim Verbeek
Peter Tim Dirk "Pim" Verbeek (12 March 1956 – 28 November 2019) was a Dutch football manager who last coached the Oman national football team.
Playing career
As a player, Verbeek was a defender or a midfielder and spent his entire career at S ...
did not select him.
In December 2010, Kilkenny was selected in Australia's 23-man squad for the 2011 Asian Cup. Kilkenny came on as a second-half substitute against United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
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
Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...
. In the quarter-final match, against reigning champions Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
, Kilkenny made an appearance in the 109th minute, during a 1–0 win. He was a late substitute in the final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event
** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...
, which Australia lost 1–0 to Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
after extra time.
Kilkenny played for Australia in the 3–0 win over New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
and goalless draw with Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...
in June 2011.
Personal life
He has three children with his English girlfriend Caprice. Killkenny is himself a fan of his former side Arsenal but holds an affinity with Leeds United, the team he made the majority of his career appearances with.
Career statistics
Honours
Club
Leeds United
*Football League One
The English Football League One (often referred to as League One for short or Sky Bet League One for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League One from 2004 until 2016) is the second-highest division of the English Football Leag ...
runner-up: 2009–10
Preston North End
*Football League One play-offs
The EFL League One play-offs are a series of play-off matches contested by the association football teams finishing from third to sixth in the EFL League One table and are part of the English Football League play-offs. , the play-offs comprise ...
: 2015
File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...
[
Perth Glory
* ]A-League
A-League Men (known as the Isuzu UTE A-League for sponsorship reasons) is the highest-level professional men's soccer league in Australia and New Zealand. At the top of the Australian league system, it is the country's premier men's competiti ...
Premiership: 2018–19
Western United
* A-League Men
A-League Men (known as the Isuzu UTE A-League for sponsorship reasons) is the highest-level professional men's soccer league in Australia and New Zealand. At the top of the Australian league system, it is the country's premier men's competiti ...
Championship: 2021–22
International
Australia
*AFC Asian Cup
The AFC Asian Cup is the primary association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), determining the continental champion of Asia. It is the second oldest cont ...
runners-up: 2011
File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
Individual
*Oldham Athletic
Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is a professional football club in Oldham, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system.
The history of Oldham Athletic ...
Player of the Year: 2004–05
* Melbourne City Player of the Year: 2016–17
* PFA A-League Men Team of the Season: 2018–19, 2021–22
References
External links
OzFootball profile
*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kilkenny, Neil
1985 births
Living people
Footballers from Enfield, London
English footballers
Australian soccer players
Republic of Ireland association footballers
England youth international footballers
Republic of Ireland youth international footballers
Australia international soccer players
Olympic soccer players of Australia
Association football midfielders
Arsenal F.C. players
Birmingham City F.C. players
Oldham Athletic A.F.C. players
Leeds United F.C. players
Bristol City F.C. players
Preston North End F.C. players
Melbourne City FC players
Perth Glory FC players
Western United FC players
English Football League players
Premier League players
A-League Men players
Footballers at the 2008 Summer Olympics
2011 AFC Asian Cup players
Australian people of English descent
Australian people of Irish descent
Australian expatriate sportspeople in England