Pep Lijnders has told of the incredible development Caoimhin Kelleher has made for Liverpool – having arrived as a teenage triallist.
The goalkeeper joined the Reds in the summer of 2015 after he was plucked from Cork-based side Ringmahon Rovers. He’s served as back-up to Alisson Becker for the past four seasons and been first choice in the Carabao Cup, proving the hero when Liverpool beat Chelsea on penalties in 2022.
Two years later, Kelleher prepares for his second Wembley appearance when the Reds will again face Chelsea on Sunday. This season has been the most fruitful in terms of appearances for the 25-year-old, having played 15 times, as he’s also been between the posts in Europa League matches while Alisson is currently injured.
The Reds’ assistant manager said: “I still know his first game. Derby away [with] nobody watching. On a pitch, not a main pitch, they put us on like the sixth pitch or something, I still know. He saved a penalty there and you saw a boy 15 years old, not in an easy situation at that time, had his trial game and with his feet, [he] already impressed me. I’m not sure, but I think he played on the pitch for many years until he became a goalie. We all know about his strengths. I’m really pleased for him what’s happening.
“For a club like Liverpool, we need two good goalkeepers. I’m really happy that we have. It’s really special and a compliment for John [Achterberg], for Jack [Robinson] and for Tafa [Claudio Taffarel] and for the guys at the Academy, because we produce some good goalkeepers already, but Caoimhin is probably the most outstanding one and who is most complete.
“He can make match-winning saves, he has this and he sees the game, he knows how to act as the free player, he knows when to play with direction and his calmness and his serenity creates calmness for the others. Especially how we want to play, if you want to manage the ball from the back, to find one-v-one situations, to create better one-v-one situations, it’s really important to have a goalkeeper like that. Again, the culture, own players, it’s cool.
