Bristol City pulled a blinder with 2011 decision - The Bristol-born star is now playing in the Champions League | OneFootball

Lloyd Kelly was a brilliant academy prospect for Bristol City.

Very few Bristol City supporters would have envisaged the path that Lloyd Kelly has been on to take him to playing in the Champions League for Juventus.

It was football that provided him with an escape, and in 2011, at the age of 12, a scout from the Robins spotted him playing for local side Bristol Central.

Over the next eight years, he impressed everyone at the club, and his performances ultimately earned him a £13 million move to AFC Bournemouth in 2019. Since then, he has continued to develop at both the Cherries and Newcastle United, with the latter sending him on loan to Italian giants Juventus in January.

Lloyd Kelly - From ball boy to first-team

Kelly honed his skills at the now-renowned Bristol City Academy and recalled his period at the club during an interview with BBC Sport, including his time as a ball boy during the last Bristol derby in 2013.

"I used to be a ball boy at Ashton Gate," said Kelly. "I remember being sat on my stool next to the kitman's son for the derby with Bristol Rovers in 2013. Joe Bryan scored a late winner. It was crazy."

In the 2015-16 season, he made his breakthrough at the club, earning a place in then-manager Steve Cotterill's pre-season squad for a tour of Portugal. However, he would have to wait another two years for his first appearance and that arrived in August 2017 when he came on in a 5-0 win over Plymouth Argyle in the EFL Cup.

His first league appearance came on the 23rd of December that season, when he started in a 1-1 draw against Queens Park Rangers.

Slowly but steadily, Kelly began to establish himself in the first team, but it was during the 2018-19 season that his real breakthrough came. With 32 appearances and 26 starts for City, his performances caught the eye and his move to the Premier League came to fruition that summer.

Lloyd Kelly - "He's got the lot"

Shortly after the conclusion of the 2018-19 campaign, interest in Kelly grew, and Bournemouth secured his signature in a deal worth £13 million.

Speaking about his departure, Lee Johnson stated that: "We’ve had to put an arm round him and give him a kick at times. He’s got the lot. My frustration is that I won’t get to work with him any longer."

His first year at the Cherries was plagued by injury, but Bournemouth's relegation to the Championship provided him with the opportunity to continue his development in the 2020-21 season. Over the next two years, he solidified his reputation as one of the best centre-backs in the division and this continued into the Premier League.

A young leader, he often captained the Cherries in the tier above, but after the conclusion of the 2023-24 campaign, he made the move to Newcastle United after his contract expired at the Vitality Stadium.

His time at the Magpies has seen him limited to minimal minutes, but January presented an opportunity for him to make the move to Serie A giants Juventus. That he did and the Old Lady has an obligation to buy him for £20 million in the summer.

The 26-year-old has already had the chance to feature in the Champions League for Juventus, and although they fell short against PSV Eindhoven, Kelly put in a solid performance, with Joe Cole praising his display as "composed" under pressure.