Kelly with the Riverhounds, April 2022
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Dane Kelly | ||
| Date of birth | (1991-02-09) 9 February 1991 (age 33) | ||
| 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) |
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*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 14 October 2023 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 14 October 2018 | |||
Dane Kelly (born 9 February 1991) is a Jamaican professional footballer who plays as a striker for Charlotte Independence. With 106 regular season goals, Kelly is the all-time leading scorer in the USL Championship.
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.[citation needed]
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.[citation needed]
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.[citation needed]
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]
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]
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]
On 16 January 2019, Kelly signed with USL Championship side Indy Eleven.[9]
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]
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]
On 19 May 2021, Kelly re-signed with Charlotte Independence following his spell in Israel.[14]
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]
On 2 March 2023, Kelly returned to Charlotte Independence for the third time, joining ahead of the 2023 USL League One season.[17]
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]
| Club | Season | League | Cup[a] | Continental | Other[b] | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Tivoli Gardens | 2009–10 | National Premier League | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 0 | 1+ | ||
| 2010–11 | National Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2011–12 | National Premier League | 19 | 2 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 19+ | 2+ | |||
| 2012–13 | National Premier League | 16 | 6 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 16+ | 6+ | |||
| 2013–14 | National Premier League | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 2+ | 1+ | |||
| Total | 37+ | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37+ | 10+ | ||
| Charleston Battery (loan) | 2011 | USL Pro | 22 | 5 | 2 | 1 | – | 1 | 0 | 25 | 6 | |
| 2012 | 17 | 5 | 1 | 1 | – | 0 | 0 | 18 | 6 | |||
| 2013 | 23 | 11 | 2 | 1 | – | 2 | 1 | 27 | 13 | |||
| Charleston Battery | 2014 | 19 | 10 | 1 | 2 | – | 1 | 1 | 21 | 13 | ||
| 2015 | USL | 26 | 11 | 2 | 2 | – | 2 | 1 | 30 | 14 | ||
| Total | 107 | 42 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 121 | 52 | ||
| Swope Park Rangers | 2016 | USL | 20 | 6 | – | – | 4 | 2 | 24 | 8 | ||
| Reno 1868 | 2017 | USL | 27 | 18 | 0 | 0 | – | 1 | 0 | 28 | 18 | |
| D.C. United | 2018 | MLS | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| Richmond Kickers (loan) | 2018 | USL | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 4 | 1 | ||
| Indy Eleven | 2019 | USL Championship | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 8 | 4 | |
| Career total | 204+ | 81+ | 9+ | 7+ | 0 | 0 | 11 | 5 | 224+ | 93+ | ||
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 30 January 2018 | Mardan Sports Complex, Antalya, Turkey |  South Korea |
1–0 | 2–2 | Friendly |
| 2. | 14 October 2018 | Ergilio Hato Stadium, Willemstad, Curaçao |  Bonaire |
6–0 | 6–0 | 2019–20 CONCACAF Nations League qualification |
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Charlotte Independence – current squad
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USL Championship top scorers
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USL Championship Most Valuable Player
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