The 24-year-old forward was side-lined for ten months after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament tear in May 2021 but, after returning to the City squad towards the end of last season, the winger looked back to her best.
During that painstaking period of recovery and rehabilitation she had her sights set on one goal: making England’s European Championship squad for this summer.
And after grabbing two goals and three assists across her seven appearances in 2021/22, Kelly was selected alongside six of her City teammates in Serena Wiegman’s side.
In November 2018 Kelly made her international debut against Austria, the team the Lionesses face in their first game of the tournament.
A lot has changed in the winger’s career since that 3-0 victory, but she is hoping for another chance to lock horns with England’s Group A rivals and help inspire a new generation of football fans.
She reflected: “It’ll be very different from my first game; I wasn’t expecting to get the nod to get on the pitch at all being a training player.
“It’s great to play against them again at Old Trafford, it’ll be a great occasion.
“I think it’s very exciting as a young player to see how far (the game) has come and to see so many young girls out there each week in their grass roots club, it’s great.
“To be an ambassador of the women’s game is amazing because you’re paving the way for the future as well.”
As one of the pre-tournament favourites, Kelly is under no illusions that she faces stiff competition for a starting shirt.
However, the winger has welcomed the array of talent that England boss Serena Wiegman has at her disposal, insisting that working alongside world class talent helps to bring the best out of both herself and her teammates.
“I think it’s brilliant, I think it just shows the strength in depth that we have in our squad, and in tournament football that’s great to have,” she explained.
“Each individual brings something different to the team, and to be playing with these great players is special.
“To learn from these players each day each day, and to show what I and the other girls can bring to the team only makes us better as players.
“Going into a tournament, it’s great to have.”
Recovering from a long-term injury to make the squad required Kelly to consistently remain positive and focused on the task in hand.
While it has been both a mental and physical challenge for her, that journey back to full fitness was made a lot easier by having a tangible ambition to aim for.
The winger also explained how her mentality has changed as a result of her experience away from the field.
She explained: “I think my mindset is a lot different from pre-injury, and I appreciate time on the pitch so much more.
“Obviously, you do (appreciate it) when you’re playing, but being away from the pitch for so long (and) coming back to it, you just appreciate it a lot more, and your mentality is a lot stronger.”
Five days after England’s opening match, the Lionesses face Norway at Brighton’s Amex Stadium.
It means Kelly and co. will likely come against a familiar face in City teammate Julie Blakstad, who has also been selected to represent her nation at this summer’s tournament.
But the winger insists that her friendship with the 20-year-old will be put to one side when the two nations lock horns.
“We’re always trying to work out how we can break the other teams down,” Kelly said.
“Playing with Julie, you know her strengths going into that game.
“We’re just taking each game as it comes but are looking at that Austria game first and how we can break them down.”
Louise Golby is a Football Journalism student at the University of Derby who are reporting on the Women’s Euros.
