“I feel more established.”
Caoimhin Kelleher has given a very honest assessment of himself, where his career is at right now, and it supports the argument that he was right to stay at Liverpool for another season.
Last Summer it seemed that Kelleher’s time as Liverpool’s number two goalkeeper was over, and that he would finally move on to a club where he would be the number one and get some much needed experience as a starter.
The Cork native had won the Carabao Cup with the Reds as the starting keeper back in 2022, but his game time has stalled since then, and with his position in the Republic of Ireland team under threat, it just seemed like the time was right to leave.
However, due to the fact that Liverpool only qualified for the Europa League last season, Jurgen Klopp promised the 25-year-old that he would be the starting shot-stopper during the group games for that competition as well as the League Cup, meaning that he would be getting a lot more game time.
The German manager clearly didn’t want to see such a talented back-up leave the club, when he had ambitions of going for as many trophies as possible, and despite the criticism from others, it appears that it was the right decision for both management and the player.
Alisson has picked up a hamstring injury which means that Kelleher is now thrust into the team for a large chunk of the season, and will be the man in nets once again as the club attempt to win their tenth League Cup this Sunday against Chelsea.
Instead of being the main keeper in a struggling PL side, or Championship team, the Irishman is playing vital role in a title race, and big finals at Wembley with silverware on the line.
“I’ve been here a few years now as number two keeper in the club so I feel a bit more established and I’ve been getting a few more games,”Kelleher said to the official Liverpool matchday programme.
“Experience is a huge part of being a goalkeeper so I’m gaining that now by playing more games and I feel a bit more part of it and ready when needed. Playing in the Premier League is different as maybe the level is up a bit, but when you play a club like Fulham in the Carabao Cup semi-final it just feels like a Premier League game.
“There is a good mood throughout the whole club, there’s a cup final to look forward to and we’re top of the Premier League, so it can’t get much better at the moment. It has been good this season to have a lot more games than previously. The last few weeks I’ve been getting a run in the team and it’s a chance to get in a good rhythm.”
Kelleher has often been dubbed as ‘unfortunate’ to be behind Alisson in the pecking order, giving that he is unlikely to replace him, but there are huge benefits to training and playing alongside such a brilliant keeper.
“He’s probably the best in the world,” said the Republic of Ireland international. “I’ve been training with him now a good number of years and being able to watch what he does in games, how he handles situations, is the best thing for me to watch so closely. I’ve been trying to emulate him and do what he’s really good at.
“Crossing is a big one. Alisson is really, really good at dealing with crosses and helping the team, and that’s certainly an area I’ve looked to improve and take the pressure off the team.”
Last time Liverpool were in the League Cup final, Kelleher was the hero for several reasons because he kept a clean sheet, saved the penalty to win the shoot out, and even scored one himself.
“For me it was more about the clean sheet and the overall performance I was proud of because that was my focus going in – just perform well, try to get a clean sheet and do my best for the team.
“Scoring the penalty was just a bonus.”
Related links:
- Jürgen Klopp’s rough injury update could seal Caoimhín Kelleher’s Liverpool fate
- Liverpool reject late €17.5m bid for Caoimhín Kelleher as Adam Idah heads for Celtic
- Jurgen Klopp’broke a promise” before Liverpool’s second half stormer against Luton
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