Lloyd Kelly has settled into his new family at Newcastle United - and reflected on how a loving childhood in foster care set him up for life.
The new Toon defender is targeting an England call up and a successful season after teaming up with Eddie Howe again, after a free transfer from Bournemouth this summer. The 25-year old is no stranger to finding support in a new tribe after growing up with three different families from the age of seven until he was 18.
The love he got from his foster families set him up for a top flight career and now he’s ready for his next challenge on Tyneside.
“The support I got then was so important to my life and where I am now,” Kelly said before the big kick off. "It was something that shaped me. When I was going through it, I didn’t really know it at the time because you’re just a kid, but it gives you life lessons early on. It moulded me, who I am now and what I stand for.
“I wouldn’t change anything that happened in my childhood because I wouldn’t be where I am today without it. I wouldn’t be sitting here as a professional footballer. It gives you resilience and strength.
“It teaches you that life may be hard, but you can push through it and get out of certain situations. You are always able to take something positive from every situation, it gives you that personal resilience.”
Kelly is vying for the left centre back berth with Dan Burn for the opener with Southampton, and hopes to win a senior call up during his Newcastle career.
That would be a far cry from being ferried by his carers to academy training at Bristol City with his brother Marcus and sister Mary. “They had no choice!” he adds. “They were always with the same family as me, that was a blessing because you don’t often see that especially with three children of different ages.
“Having them with me all the time, that certainly helped. That bond between us will not be broken. That was our family unit. The three of us, we are super strong, we will do everything together.
“Arriving at a new club is definitely more nerve wracking than moving families. As a kid, I didn’t really know any different so you are used to it. When you are older, you know how much those people did for me and all the things they had to contend with.”
Kelly will never forget his roots and looks to help other foster kids. “I’ve done a fair bit of work with foster agencies in Bristol and the council as well. I’m always an advocate for people to foster. It’s an incredible thing to do, you can see the benefits of what comes from that.
“Not everybody is going to come out the other side of being in care, but being able to provide a loving home to someone that means a hell of a lot.
“I want to be that voice for those kids and the carers too. If you focus, if you put in the hard work into something you want to do, don’t worry about the situation you are in. You can push on and make something of yourself.”
Kelly is serious about his career and wants to be a mainstay of Howe’s side.
He said: “Eddie Howe has seen my progression over the years and the player that I have become, being able to play multiple roles on that left hand side of the defence. I want to develop and it definitely feels like unfinished business.
“If you look at Newcastle, it has so much history behind it and it’s a massive club. The fans, they have always stuck with the team. I remember when we played Newcastle last season, I was on the other team, but walking out onto the pitch and into that atmosphere was special. Getting a taste of that atmosphere and watching the Champions League games, that big buzz that surrounds the club.”