Caoimhin Kelleher: a rare talent who can no longer sit on the bench at Liverpool

Caoimhin Kelleher Republic of Ireland Goalkeeper celebrates after Troy Parrott scored the winning goal against Lithuania in March

Caoimhin Kelleher Republic of Ireland Goalkeeper celebrates after Troy Parrott scored the winning goal against Lithuania in March Credit: Conor Ryan (ETPhotos)

Just before Harvey Elliot took the penalty that would potentially ensure Liverpool's progression in the Carabao Cup, you could see the midfielder looking around nervously at Caoimhin Kelleher.

The Irish goalkeeper had, after all, just saved three Derby penalties which, for all intents and purposes, had handed Liverpool the tie on a golden platter.

It was evident from Elliot’s sheepish body language that in the event that he found the back of the net in the next few seconds, he was going to make a beeline for Kelleher and not the corner flag where some sort of knee-slide would, in any other circumstance, be executed.

This time around, there could be no theft of the limelight, Kelleher was the star of the show and had carried out his duties with distinction; he was deserving of praise which is why when Harvey scored, he unsurprisingly, jumped into Kelleher’s arms second later.

Once again, Liverpool’s backup keeper had gone above and beyond to help his team progress in the Carabao Cup, which his manager Jurgen Klopp now calls 'Kelleher’s competition’.

Undoubtedly, nights like these go some way in helping the Irish shot-stopper make peace with the fact that he is the second-choice keeper at the club. However, the time is fast approaching when sporadic appearances in the League Cup will no longer be enough to satisfy Kelleher who could quite easily be starting every week for other Premier League clubs. With this in mind, how does this end for Kelleher at Liverpool, and is there a realistic pathway to being the club’s number one?

Could any keeper in the world displace Alisson?

In the minds of Liverpool fans, Alisson’s arrival in 2018 coincided with the start of some of the best times in the club’s history. Indeed, a Champions League and then the first Barclays Premier League title in three decades arrived quickly after Klopp signed Alisson having previously shown the error-prone Loris Karius the door. Admittedly, it was no coincidence as the Reds seemingly found the missing piece of the puzzle by having the Brazilian in goal.

In addition to this, there’s little doubt that the 30-year-old is now one of the most decorated keepers in the world with the World Cup trophy being the only major trophy currently missing from his CV. Incredibly, this may not be for too much longer either with the most recent World Cup betting odds, as of the 11th of November, pricing Brazil as the favourites at just 4/1 to go all the way in Qatar.



As you can see, the supporting evidence as to why Alisson should remain Liverpool's number one is, to say the very least, overwhelming. Crucially, this won’t be lost on the observant Kelleher who will know that displacing Alisson is a job that no keeper in the world could really do as things stand.

What are Kelleher’s options?

It’s important to stress that there has been no indication that Kelleher will push for a move away from Liverpool. With this being said, it’s also worth pointing out that in any event of this happening, the Reds do hold all the cards given that the Irishman signed a new long-term contract in 2021 which will run until 2026.

Another key factor to keep in mind is that Alisson’s deal expires a year after Kelleher’s with the Brazilian set to stay at Anfield until 2027. It does, of course, go without saying that football is a business where agreements that look set in stone can and do change quickly but should Alisson see out his deal with Liverpool, then that would mean that the earliest the door would open for Kelleher in terms of being the first-choice keeper would be when he was 28. Furthermore, that is an age where superior keepers should, in theory, have accumulated in the region of 250 appearances at the very minimum. As things stand, Kelleher has a mere 18 appearances for Liverpool.

With all of the above in mind, it doesn't take a lot of imagination to understand why Kelleher would currently be unsure about the future after demonstrating that he has all the attributes to thrive as a first-choice keeper.



The long and short of it is that something is going to have to change for the Cork native who will soon find himself having to make tough decisions.

 

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