Kelsy began his career in his homeland with Mineros de Guayana, making his debut in 2021 at the age of just 16.
That very early start in top-tier football gives an indication of Kelsy’s natural talent, and his journey to Mineros speaks to his determination and spirit.
To get there, he had to travel 500 miles from his hometown of Valencia. But that distance wasn’t the biggest problem – the Covid-19 pandemic meant there was a nationwide travel ban.
To avoid detection at checkpoints, he hid in a mining truck.
“It wasn’t an appropriate time to be using airports or anything to do with [travel] – so Mineros’ president and my agent had an idea,” Kelsy said earlier this year, speaking to a Portland Timbers blog.
“Thinking about it, the idea was crazy to be honest. I was so young, I only let myself be guided by my dreams, not thinking about the craziness of what I was doing.
“It was all for my dream, which was to be a professional athlete, to play in Europe.”
The year after Kelsy’s debut, he began to make his mark, with five goals in 24 appearances.
That led to Shakhtar Donetsk after a very brief spell in Uruguay with Boston River.
Over his two title-winning seasons in Ukraine, he netted nine goals in 37 appearances against the backdrop of war with Russia.
“It was my first proper experience outside of my country and a very drastic change – both culturally and sporting,” he added.
“There were times when I lived first hand the attacks on the country, but also saw how the country defended itself,” Kelsy said.
“I could see up in the sky war drones getting knocked down.
“They are moments that will forge you, mature you. I think ultimately dreams are bigger than anything else, so I tried not to mind all those things the best I could.”
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