Field Insider

C. Kelly

Squad depthBradford · 28 yrsTransferred to Bristol Rovers

Profile

Full nameCiarán Kelly
PositionCentre-back
NationalityRepublic of Ireland
Age28
Date of birth4 Jul 1998
Height191 cm
Shirt number#18
ClubBradford
Centre-back
18
Appearances
0
Goals
0
Assists
1074
Minutes

Domestic-league season · Bradford.

Injury-affected season

Missed 5 of Bradford's ~48 games this season through 5 injury absences (ankle). He still appeared 18 times — a solid return given how little of the season he was available. His rating is judged mainly on the games he was fit to play.

Performance data · by competition

CompetitionAppsGAMinMatch
League One180010746.81
League Cup3002326.6
EFL Trophy3001736.47

Scout report

Squad depthCentral defender

C. Kelly is a 28-year-old central defender at Bradford, rated 30.1 overall by Field Insider's model, ranking 344th of 481 on scout potential in the League One. An experienced operator, he has been a fringe squad member this season (27.8% of available minutes). His defensive output reads 3.94 tackles, blocks and interceptions per 90. Below: strengths, watch-points, market-value outlook and the latest transfer news on Kelly.

Judged on this season alone, Kelly graded 12 — a workmanlike campaign that ranks 70th of 88 of the 88 centre-backs in the League One, on 3 clean sheets and 3.939 defensive actions per 90.

Year-on-year, that's a drop on last season (Season 17 → 12). Over the 4 seasons on record his form has trended upward, peaking in 2023/24.

On long-term talent our Rating reads 30, 55th of 88 of the 88 centre-backs in the League One. At 28 Kelly is in his prime years, and a market index of 4 reflects that trajectory.

Read the appearance count in context: Kelly missed 5 games through injury (ankle) out of roughly 48 this season. The 18 he did play is a solid return on the time he was fit, and his ratings are weighted toward those games rather than the ones he sat out injured.

From the career report
Read the full career report →

Past his 2023/24 peak — the recent trend is downward, so buyers are paying for what's left, not what was.

Peak: 2023/24Trending downStepped up 2025/26Injury-hit 2025/26
Current potential55th of 88 centre-backs · League OneCurrent season70th of 88 centre-backs · League One70th-best centre-back in the League One344th in the League One · potential55th-highest potential centre-back in the League One
30.1
Ratingi
55th of 88 centre-backs
11.9
Seasoni
below regular-starter level
27.8%
Minutes
limited game time
3.94
Def. actions / 90
solid defensive volume

Output in context · Bradford finished 4th of 24 · an upper-table side

3.94
Def. / 90
25
Tackles
13
Interceptions
3
Clean sheets

3.94 tackles, blocks & interceptions per 90 — solid defensive volume, with 3 clean sheets across 18 appearances. Behind an upper-table side (4th of 24) the side controls more games, so the defensive load is lighter — the value sits as much in composure and ball progression as in raw volume.

Strengths

  • Defensive volume. 3.94 tackles, blocks & interceptions per 90 — does the unseen work.

Watch points

  • Game time. Only 27.8% of available minutes — needs a settled run to prove the level.
  • Level. Rates below a nailed-on top-tier starter on our model.

Outlook

With a Rating of 30.1, Kelly carries the 55th-highest potential of the centre-backs in the League One of 88. Defensively he reads as solid defensive volume (3.94 tackles, blocks & interceptions per 90). Experienced and reliable, but the value curve is easing (1.2× now → 0.9× projected in three years).

Generated from Field Insider's rating model · AI-written analysis to follow.

Transfer news

No transfer news found for this player.