Neil Kilkenny

Neil Kilkenny ( born December 19, 1985 in Enfield, London ) is an England -born, Australian football player. The midfielder is since 2011 under contract at Bristol City.

Club career

Kilkenny was born in Enfield, but grew up in Brisbane, Australia. In 2002, his family was now retired to England, he signed a two-year training contract at Arsenal, before joining Birmingham City in January 2004. There he could not prevail in the first team and was loaned in November 2004 for the remainder of the season at Oldham Athletic, where he was able to secure a regular place. After his return to Birmingham he could establish himself in the first team and came September 24, 2005 on his league debut in the Premier League. He stood against Liverpool in the starting lineup, but he looked after 84 minutes, the red card, blocking a ball with his hand on the goal line. The overdue penalty was converted to a 2-2 draw. In the following years he came mostly as a substitute for inserts.

After the descent in the 2005/06 season, the situation of Kilkenny did not improve in the second division he was at Birmingham City only reserve player. As the club of direct promotion back to the Premier League succeeded in Kilkenny was awarded early in the season in August 2007 for half a year again to Oldham Athletic. After his return to Birmingham in early January, he was immediately loaned to Leeds United for a third- round match in the FA Cup in 2007 /08. The cup match Leeds won 3-0 and Kilkenny was awarded for his performance as "Man of the Match". Shortly after, he signed a contract until 2011 with a transfer fee of £ 150,000.

On 24 June 2011 Kilkenny moved to Bristol City and signed a three-year contract.

National

Born in England Kilkenny moved with his family at a young age the Australian Brisbane. He was both the English and allowed to play the Australian and Irish national team, but decided shortly before the 2006 World Cup for the Australian national team and was in a World Cup warm-up match against Liechtenstein his international debut. For the World Cup itself Kilkenny was not nominated. With the Australian Olympic team (U -23) to Kilkenny qualified for the Olympic tournament in China in 2008 and was appointed coach Graham Arnold in the 18-member final squad in July 2008.

After another international duty in June 2008 in a 0-1 defeat in a World Cup qualifier against China, there were only sporadic contact with National coach Pim Verbeek. The leaders watching Kilkenny although in January 2010 the sensational third round victory at Leeds in the FA Cup against Manchester United, to a renewed invitation to the national team, it was enough but not yet.

According to the 2010 World Cup Holger Osieck Verbeek has served as the Australian national team coach from and Kilkenny was found in December 2010 on a provisional 50 players comprehensive list for the Asia Cup 2011. Osieck finally called Kilkenny in the 23- man squad and put him as a reserve player in four tournament games by Substitutes one, including in the 0-1 defeat in the final against Japan.