Joel Kerr joined the Academy of Football from NIFL Premiership club Glentoran FC in July 2025 on a contract until the summer of 2028.

Born in the small village of The Rock, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, Kerr is a talented sportsman who also played Gaelic football for County Tyrone at Minor level.

A Northern Ireland U17 International, Kerr is a quick, dynamic wide player who loves to dominate in 1v1 situations.

He joined the Glentoran Academy in 2020 and consistently played above his natural age-group. In 2023, he captained Glentoran’s U14s to a National League title before leading the club's U16s to the NIFL Academy League crown in 2024.

At international level, Kerr has been capped by Northern Ireland at U14, U15, U16 and U17 levels, while he also represented County Tyrone at the prestigious SuperCupNI tournament in both 2023 and 2024.

Kerr scored his first goal in Claret and Blue in a 2-1 U18 Premier League South win against Fulham. His consistent performances with the U18s and U17s earned him his U21s debut in a 2-1 defeat to Premier League International Cup winners Borussia Dortmund.

He signed his first professional contract on his 17th birthday and finished the season with 13 goals. Eight of those goals came in Premier League Cup competitions as the U18s defended their title by reaching the semi-finals where Kerr scored the go-ahead goal before a defeat in extra-time against Manchester United. In the U17 competition, Kerr and his squad of young Hammers won the competition, with the Northern Ireland U17s captain finishing the tournament on five goals including a last-minute winner in the final against Blackburn Rovers.

Honours

Club Honours

U17 Premier League Cup (2025/26)

International caps

Northern Ireland U14s Northern Ireland U15s Northern Ireland U16s Northern Ireland U17s