KELVIN MELLOR

Born: 25 January 1991

Came from: Crewe Alexandra   Went to: Blackpool

First game: 09 August 2014   Last game: 30 May 2016

Appearances: 92 (87/5)   Goals: 2

Mellor was born in Crewe, although for reasons unapparent, some media sources quote Copenhagen in Denmark. Mainly a right-back, he started his career locally with Nantwich Town before joining Crewe Alexandra's academy in 2008. He was then loaned out to aid his development - initially back to Nantwich and then to Staffordshire side Newcastle Town in the Spring of 2010, followed by Stafford Rangers for two months at the start of the 2010-11 season. He then returned to Crewe and made his Football League debut at the age of 19 as an 89th minute substitute in a 2-1 away win at Morecambe in November 2010.

In 2011 Mellor had two further loan spells away from Crewe before finally establishing himself in the team in the 2011-12 season. Firstly he was loaned to Leek Town for a month in February 2011 before then having a spell with Icelandic side ÍBV (Íþróttabandalag Vestmannaeyja) in the Úrvalsdeild - the Icelandic top-flight. The club is based on the Westman Islands - a small town and archipelago off the south coast of Iceland. Mellor played 11 times, scoring twice, in three summer months at this picturesque northerly outpost, which included appearances in Europa League qualifying games.

Returning to Crewe, he then established himself in the Alex side, playing in the 2011-12 League Two Play-off Final at Wembley Stadium as Crewe won promotion to League One. He was initially offered a one-year extension by Crewe but was heavily courted by Championship club Derby County and held talks with Nigel Clough's side, before declining their offer of a three-year contract to stay with Crewe on an eventual two-year deal. He went on to help Alex lift the 2013 Football League (Johnstone's Paint) Trophy, making a second visit to Wembley. In six years with Crewe he played 103 times in all competitions and scored twice, but was released at the end of the 2013-14 season.

In June 2014, the 6ft 2in defender moved to Argyle on a two-year deal, becoming John Sheridan's sixth summer signing following Lee Cox, Peter Hartley, Deane Smalley, Reuben Reid and Carl McHugh. In his time at Home Park he was rarely missing from the team sheet, amassing 92 games in only two seasons. He played largely as a wing-back under Sheridan, and then as a more conventional right-back in his second season when Derek Adams was in charge.

Mellor's attacking prowess was a significant factor in the club reaching the League Two play-offs in both campaigns, but some inconsistency in defence divided supporters. In the summer of 2016 he was offered a new contract, but decided instead to accept a one-year deal at Blackpool. In the end he spent two seasons at Bloomfield Road making 89 appearances and scoring an impressive 14 goals in all competitions.

On release from Blackpool his journey around northern clubs continued with two seasons at Bradford City, 2018-19 & 2019-20, making 50 appearances and scoring three goals in all competitions before moving to Morecambe for the next two seasons. Back on the Lancashire coast he made 42 appearances and scoring a single goal before moving to Carlisle United at the end of August 2022 just after the start of what was to be his second season. He played out the remainder of that season at Brunton Park, making 25 appearances and scoring once in all competitions.

He then went on to have a single season spell with Crewe Alexander (his second spell with his home town club), making 42 appearances and scoring twice in all competitions, before moving to Accrington Stanley (a ground at which he was once red-carded for Argyle) for the 2023-24 season.

After 26 appearances for Stanley, he was released at the end of his contract and went full-circle, rejoining his first club, where it all began as a 17 year-old, by signing for Nantwich Town for the 2024-25 season.