Kilkenny: Neil

2008-2011 (Leeds Player Details) (Player Details)

Midfield

Born: Enfield: 19-12-1985

Debut: v Northampton Town (h): 05-01-2008

5’8” 10st 8lb (2007)

Born in Enfield, Middlesex, Kilkenny moved to Australia with his family aged just four. He started his football career with Brisbane Junior club Coalstars, before returning to England and joining the Arsenal Youth system, when he was twelve. He earned a two year scholarship and played regularly in the club's Under-Seventeen and Under-Nineteen teams.However the competition for places at Highbury was intense and in January 2004 he left to join Birmingham City where his chances of first team football were better. He had been recognised by England at Under-Eighteen level, making his debut in a 0-0 draw with Switzerland in Lugano as a forty-sixth minute substitute for Stacy Long on 12th March 2003. He then was part of the squad in the Lisbon Tournament at the Maio Stadium, being an unused substitute in the 2-1 win over Sweden on 5th June 2003 but playing the full games in the 0-0 draws with hosts, Portugal, the following day and Spain two days later. Being born in England, then spending several years in Australia and being of Irish ancestory, Kilkenny was qualified to play for all three countries. He had played once for the Irish Under-Nineteen team against Slovakia in February 2003, before his first cap for England and was later to decide, in 2006, that Australia was the team where his International allegiance lay. However, at St Andrew's, he was unable to break into the first team, and he was loaned to League One side, Oldham Athletic on 18th November 2004 to gain first-team experience. He made his debut two days later in a 3-2 home win over Barnsley and was off to a successful start to his spell at Boundary Park, bagging a brace of goals in his second game, a week later in a 3-1 win over Bradford City at Valley Parade. He played a full part in Oldham's season, taking the free kick which led to the winning goal against Premier League Manchester City in the F.A. Cup, and ending up by winning the club's Players' Young Player of the Year award. He played thirty-four games, of which three were off the bench and scored five goals in his first spell with the Latics. He had also enhanced his England chances with two appearances for the Under-Twenty team starting twice, the first, on 10th October 2004 at the Galpharm Stadium in a 1-0 win over the Netherlands, when he was replaced by David Mannix after seventy-four minutes, and then on 8th February 2005 in a 2-0 victory over Russia at the Valley, when he gave way to Stacy Long after sixty-five minutes. He re-joined the Birmingham first team squad at the start of the 2005-06 season. On 20th September 2005, he made his Birmingham first-team debut in the League Cup away at Scunthorpe United, coming on as a substitute in he twenty-sixth minute to replace Muzzy Izzet and receiving praise from manager Steve Bruce for his display. Only four days later, on 24th September 2005, he made his full home debut against Liverpool in the EPL. He was sent off in the eighty-third minute for handling the ball on the line, an incident which handed Liverpool a penalty and a 2–2 draw. Apart from the disappointment of his dismissal, he went on to receive credit from fellow team mates Mikael Forssell and Mario Melchiot for his performance. He recived his third and final England Under-Twenty cap in a 2-2 draw with the Netherlands on 9th October 2005 at Turf Moor, when he was replaced by Ian Henderson after half-time. On 30th July 2007, he was again loaned to Oldham, the loan period to run at least until 1st January 2008, but the move was blocked following the collapse of Birmingham's purchase of Hossam Ghaly. However the loan was finally confirmed on 11th August 2007. When Kilkenny's loan at Oldham expired, he returned to Birmingham City. In his time at Birmingham he made twenty-six League appearances, twenty of which were from the bench. He also started one F.A. Cup tie but was a substitute six times and he started three League Cup ties and came off the bench three times. In his second spell at Oldham he scored once in nineteen starts and one game as a substitute in the League, once in three F.A. Cup starts, once in one League Cup start and did not score in one start in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy. On 4th January 2008 he signed for 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, putting in an impressive performance to get the “Man of the Match” award. Kilkenny signed a three-and-a-half year permanent contract with Leeds on 7th January 2008 for a fee of £150,000. He settled in well with Leeds and up to the end of the 2008-09 season he had been a regular unless injured, but with the start of the new season he found himself on the substitute bench and by the end of September had still to feature in the starting eleven. He played his first game in the run-on team against top of the table rivals Charlton Athletic on 3rd October 2009 and soon struck good form, and was part of the team that carried all before it for the next few months. The team lost its way and after injury Kilkenny found himself on the bench for a while. However he returned to form and was a regular in the final two months of the campaign, when promotion was assured. Shortly before the 2006 World Cup Kilkenny had committed to play for Australia. He was among agroup of young players, selected by Manager Guus Hiddink, who trained with the Australian squad in Holland and Germany prior to the tournament. Kilkenny made his international debut for Australia on 7th June 2006, coming on as a late substitute in their 3–1 victory in a World Cup warm-up game against Liechtenstein in Ulm, Germany. In 2007 he played a vital role with the Australian Olyroos (Under-Twenty-three) in their 2008 Beijing Olympics qualifying campaign, in which he played in four matches. He has been capped thirteen times by Australia in full Internationals and played ten times for the Under-Twenty-three side. He has yet to score an International goal. Like so many Leeds players of his time his contract was allowed to wind down and then there was the usual reluctance by the club to meet the player's wage terms and so he became a free agent at the end of the 2010-11 season. He signed a three year contract with Bristol City on the player's terms and joined them on 24th June 2011. Bristol City Manager Keith Millen was extremely pleased and commented “He’s a passing midfielder with a great range and he demands the ball. The top players cost a lot of money but we’ve been fortunate in getting him on a free transfer.” and added “There aren’t many creative midfielders available so the search has been difficult.” In his first season at Ashton Gate he scored once in forty-one League appearances, of which nine were from the bench. He also started one F.A. Cup tie and one League Cup tie, without scoring.