AFC Bournemouth defender Lloyd Kelly is hoping to pen a new chapter in his brief but eventful EFL Cup memoirs.
Kelly has achieved some notable career milestones in the competition, having made his professional debut and reached the semi-final with former club Bristol City in 2017/18.
The 21-year-old made his bow in the Robins’ first round win over Plymouth Argyle in August 2017 before being handed his full debut in a 3-2 victory at Watford in the second round.
Kelly was on the bench as the Championship outfit claimed Premier League scalps in Stoke City and Crystal Palace to set up a quarter-final with five-time winners Manchester United.
And he was an unused substitute as Lee Johnson’s team stunned the holders by triumphing 2-1 on a night of high drama in front of a packed house at Ashton Gate.
Kelly, who was still a teenager at the time, was again named in the City matchday squad for the first leg of their semi-final against Premier League leaders Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.
Although Bobby Reid drew first blood for the visitors, Pep Guardiola’s team edged a 2-1 victory before winning 3-2 at Ashton Gate and going on to beat Arsenal in the final.
Kelly, who skippered the Cherries to a penalty shootout victory over Crystal Palace in the second round, will be hoping for a change in fortunes when he returns to the Etihad on Thursday (7.45pm kick-off).
He told afcb.co.uk: “Manchester City are the holders and we know it’s going to be a tough game. We played them twice last season and know what they’re about.
“The away game post-lockdown was a tight affair. We are going to have to take our A-game and make sure we’re right on it because we know the quality they have.
“I have fond memories of the competition having made my debut for Bristol City. We were 4-0 up against Plymouth when I came on so that was an easy one to go into.
“My full debut against Watford was a really good game and one which will stick with me for a while. There were a couple of other youngsters in the team and we managed to beat them.
“Reaching the semi-finals was special. It was an exciting game at the Etihad and we took a fair few fans and they were the ones making the most noise.
“We performed well and, when they came to our place, their quality showed. People in the city still talk about that cup run and it’s a memory for people to treasure.
“We want to try to progress as far as we can. You can’t go into games expecting anything because we have seen over the past few seasons how the underdogs manage to beat Premier League and Championship teams. We’ve got to play our game and hope it’s enough.”
Kelly, who converted confidently during the shootout win over Palace, could again take the armband and may have a quick reunion with former team-mate Nathan Ake who joined City in the summer.
“We were quite close,” said Kelly. “Although you could say we were battling for the same spot, we had a good friendship.
“When Cookie was out post-lockdown, we partnered up for a couple of games when he played on the right and me on the left.
“Although we didn’t play together a lot, you could see the connection and the relationship on the pitch as well as off it.
“Nath was a player you could always rely on. He leaves everything on the pitch and is a really consistent performer.
“We had a few chats when we were training and I picked up on a few things here and there. We had a really good relationship.
“Palace was an evenly-matched game. We had chances and restricted them to one shot on target.
Defensively, we did our jobs but the shootout was probably the most exciting part of it.”
Asked whether he felt being captain helped his game, Kelly replied: “You could say yes but, at the same time, it’s one of those things where you need to do it on a consistent level to earn the armband.
“You can’t perform when you wear it and not perform when you don’t. You could say it does but, at the same time, you could say it doesn’t.
“I see myself as being that leader, that person on the pitch who’s always talking and leading by example.
“I’ve done it previously with England under-20s and it’s something I want to continue to try to do as much as I can. It was a good feeling to lead the boys into that game.”
