Lukas Kelly-Heald

Lukas Kelly-Heald
Kelly-Heald playing for Wellington Phoenix in 2025
Personal information
Full name Lukas Eric Kelly-Heald[1]
Date of birth (2005-03-18) 18 March 2005[1]
Place of birth Wellington, New Zealand
Height 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in)[1]
Position Defender
Team information
Current team
 Wellington Phoenix
Number 18
Youth career
Island Bay United
North Wellington AFC
Lower Hutt City AFC
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2021 Lower Hutt City AFC 1 (0)
2021– Wellington Phoenix Reserves 36 (0)
2023– Wellington Phoenix 59 (0)
International career‡
2022–2025 New Zealand U-20 10 (0)
2023– New Zealand U-23 6 (0)
2024– New Zealand 5 (0)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  New Zealand
OFC Nations Cup
Winner2024 Fiji/Vanuatu
OFC U-19 Championship
Winner2022 Tahiti
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 24 April 2026
‡ National team caps and goals as of 23 January 2026

Lukas Eric Kelly-Heald (born 18 March 2005) is a New Zealand professional footballer who plays as a centre-back or left-back for Wellington Phoenix and the New Zealand national team.[2][3][4]

His twin brother Alby Kelly-Heald, a goalkeeper, played for the same youth clubs and the Phoenix academy. In January 2025, they became the third pair of twins to play together in the A-League Men, and the first for the Phoenix.[5]

Early career

Kelly-Heald attended St Patrick's College, Wellington where he played for the first XI.[6]

Club career

In July 2023, the Wellington Phoenix signed Kelly-Heald to a four-year professional contract.[7] He made his club debut on 4 August 2023 against Peninsula Power FC in the Australia Cup.[8]

Kelly-Heald made his A-League Men debut for the Phoenix on the opening matchday of the 2023–24 season in a 0–0 draw away to Western Sydney Wanderers.[9] He made his 50th league appearance for the Phoenix in a 3–0 win away to the Brisbane Roar on 3 January 2026.

International career

New Zealand U-20

Kelly-Heald was named as part of the 23-player New Zealand U-19 squad for the 2022 OFC U-19 Championship.[10] New Zealand would go on to win the tournament by defeating Fiji 3–0 in the final on 24 September 2022.[11][12] Kelly-Heald made four appearances in the tournament, including the semifinal and final.

Kelly-Heald was named as part of the 21-player New Zealand U-20 squad for the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup that took place in Chile from September to October 2025.[13] Kelly-Heald made three appearances in the tournament, with New Zealand exiting after the conclusion of the group stage.[14][15][16]

New Zealand

Kelly-Heald formed part of the New Zealand squad for the 2024 OFC Men's Nations Cup.[17] He made his debut on 18 June 2024 in a group stage match against the Solomon Islands in a 3–0 win, coming on for Tim Payne in the 75th minute.[18] New Zealand would go on to win the Nations Cup, defeating Vanuatu 3–0 in the final on 30 June.[19] Kelly-Heald was substituted on in the 88th minute of the final,[20] and made three appearances overall in the tournament.

Honours

New Zealand U19
New Zealand

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Men's Olympic Football Tournament Paris 2024: Squad list" (PDF). FIFA. 24 July 2024. p. 11. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  2. ↑ Rollo, Phillip (11 February 2024). "Wellington Phoenix twin goes from selling popcorn at the movies to playing football for a living". Stuff. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  3. ↑ "Getting to know Lukas Kelly-Heald". 11 July 2023.
  4. ↑ "Phoenix teenager Lukas Kelly-Heald named in latest All Whites squad". Friends of Football. 10 March 2024.
  5. ↑ Rollo, Phillip (15 January 2025). "Kelly-Heald twins create Wellington Phoenix history after sharing the pitch in the A-League Men". Stuff. Retrieved 8 February 2025.
  6. ↑ "NZ Honours - St Patrick's College". www.stpats.school.nz. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
  7. ↑ Waters, Victoria (6 July 2023). "Wellington Phoenix future-proof defence with tall timber". 1News. Retrieved 14 September 2025.
  8. ↑ "Wellington Phoenix debutants star with winning goal in extra-time Australia Cup strike". Stuff. 5 August 2023. Retrieved 14 September 2025.
  9. ↑ Rollo, Phillip (23 October 2023). "Goalkeeper stars as Wellington Phoenix start A-League Men season with draw in Sydney scorcher". Stuff. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
  10. ↑ "Squad named for OFC U-19 Championship 2022". Oceania Football Confederation. 1 September 2022. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
  11. ↑ "Match – Final – Fiji vs New Zealand". Oceania Football Confederation. 24 September 2022. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
  12. ↑ "New Zealand again win U-19 football championship". RNZ. 26 September 2022. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
  13. ↑ "Squad Named for September's FIFA U-20 World Cup 2025". New Zealand Football. 12 September 2025. Retrieved 14 September 2025.
  14. ↑ "Match Centre – Chile vs New Zealand". FIFA. Retrieved 17 October 2025.
  15. ↑ "Match Centre – Egypt vs New Zealand". FIFA. Retrieved 17 October 2025.
  16. ↑ "Match Centre – New Zealand vs Japan". FIFA. Retrieved 17 October 2025.
  17. ↑ "Four new names in All Whites squad selected for OFC Nations Cup". New Zealand Football. 5 June 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
  18. ↑ "Match – Group A – New Zealand vs Solomon Islands". Oceania Football Confederation. 18 June 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
  19. ↑ "New Zealand takes OFC Nations Cup crown over 'full of heart' Vanuatu". RNZ. 1 July 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
  20. ↑ "Match – Final – New Zealand vs Vanuatu". Oceania Football Confederation. 30 June 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
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