‘He knows that’ – National team boss ‘fully expects’ 24-year-old Liverpool star to quit Anfield this summer
Caoimhin Kelleher has been urged to leave Liverpool this summer by Republic of Ireland manager Stephen Kenny.
The 24-year-old featured just four times for Jurgen Klopp’s side this season and although the German tactician insisted recently that only an ‘extraordinary offer’ would make him even consider selling the Cork-born star, Kenny has admitted he ‘expects’ the shot stopper to quit Anfield in search of regular game time.
The Academy graduate helped the Reds to the League Cup last term by keeping a clean sheet in the final against Chelsea and then scoring a spot kick in the shootout victory over the Stamford Bridge outfit.
“Caoimhin is a very talented goalkeeper,” Kenny said (via RTE).
“It looks like he’ll be on the move this summer and he can only benefit [from that]. He needs to play games.
“He’s been starved of games this season, it’s been a problem for him. It’s hard to leave Liverpool, it’s such an iconic club, but he’s not so young now. He’s 24, and he needs to play and he knows that.
“He knew that earlier this season and I think he’s been in dialogue with Liverpool about that for a long time. It’s most likely it’ll happen you would think in the summer.
“I would fully expect [him to move]. He’s at the stage where he’s behind one of the best goalkeepers in the world. You can’t improve by not playing. He knows that. He’s known that for a while. I think he’s ready to go and play regularly, because he needs to.
“The previous season was a great success for him, winning the [Carabao] Cup, playing in the cup competitions. They were knocked out early this year and there was not so much football for him.”
The Irish Independent have claimed that Spurs, Brentford and Brighton are all interested in a move for our No. 62.
He has impressed whenever called upon by Klopp down the years but due to the impressive performances and consistency of Alisson Becker once again this term it looks like Kelleher would have to settle for a spot on the bench for the foreseeable future.
We were knocked out of both domestic cup competitions early on this season meaning the Irishman had his game time even more limited and no one would begrudge him if he was to leave Merseyside to become number one elsewhere.
He’s more than good enough to be first choice for both club and country and although we would love to see him remain at the club we would fully understand if he was to move on.
A loan move could potentially make sense but that may just mean he finds himself in the same position in 12 months time.
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