Caoimhin Kelleher: A World Class Keeper

Author: Jack Guing, Last Updated: 06.12.2024

Liverpool have been without goalkeeper Alisson Becker since he was injured away to Crystal Palace back on the 5th of October. Kelleher has once again filled the Alisson void. Kelleher has played 9 games since Alisson’s injury, winning 8 of these games and drawing once.

He has kept 5 clean sheets in these games, versus RB Leipzig, Aston Villa, Bayer Leverkusen and most recently versus Real Madrid and Manchester City in the same week. A realisation most sports betting fans couldn’t have placed a wager on.

Both club and country, Caoimhin Kelleher has shown his form, making a key penalty save in Ireland’s 1-0 win at home to Finland last month. Kelleher will more than likely regain Liverpool’s bench when Alisson returns from injury but Liverpool manager Arne Slot recently said Alisson will not be rushed back from injury because of the form shown by Irishman Caoimhin Kelleher.

Let us take a look at Kelleher’s form this season as well as where his qualities lie and what the future might hold for him.

Kelleher’s Form

Kelleher has been in incredible form since coming in to replace the injured Alisson. This is no surprise to Liverpool fans as last season he put in many brilliant performances when Alisson was injured on multiple occasions last season.

He made 26 appearances last season including 10 in the Premier League. This season Kelleher has made 11 appearances including 9 since Alisson was injured. Kelleher’s playing style is certainly that of a modern-day goalkeeper.

He shows great calmness on the ball and is an excellent shot-stopper, particularly in one one-on-one situations, as seen versus Manchester City last weekend when he denied Kevin De Bruyne late on in his side's 2-0 win.

He has made 21 saves, 1 penalty save, 3 high claims and 2 sweeper clearances. He has conceded just 6 league goals and has made 0 errors that led to a goal. He has shown his calmness on the ball with 223 passes, an average of 31.86 passes per game and has made 23 accurate long balls.

What Next For Kelleher?

It has always seemed like Kelleher would have to move on from Liverpool if he is to become a number 1.

He would have to be patient to wait and see if Alisson left or declined so he could replace him, but now it seems his hand has been forced with Liverpool signing Georgia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili for £29 million last summer, with the keeper arriving next summer.

Kelleher said back in September "I've made it clear in the last few years that I want to go and be a number one and play week in, week out. The club's made that decision to get another goalkeeper and from the outside looking in, it looks like they've made a decision to go in a different direction.”

Alisson has only 18 months left on his deal so if he were to leave Kelleher would still likely be number 2 this time to a younger goalkeeper in Giorgi Mamardashvili. Kelleher deserves to be a number 1 for a Premier League side but the chances of him becoming one for Liverpool are getting increasingly slim.

There have been links of Kelleher to Chelsea, which makes sense as he has shown he can be number 1 for a top side. Other teams I believe he could join are Tottenham Hotspur, especially since Vicario’s injury, West Ham United, Newcastle United, and Bournemouth (if they do not turn Kepa’s loan into a permanent transfer) and he is consistently being linked with a move to Celtic.

Kelleher has a huge decision to make next summer. He has made it clear that he wants to play consistently, so will Liverpool finally grant his wish, either by letting him go or trusting him as their number 1?

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✒️ Jack Guing – Football Sports Expert

Jack hails from County Offaly in Ireland and joins the team as a Content Writer and Performance Analyst. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English and History from Maynooth University and a master’s degree in Sports Performance from the University of Limerick. Jack is a keen sports fan with a love for performance analysis and wishes to use this data-driven style that is seen in performance analysis in his writing to deliver informative predictions.

Last Updated on 06/12/2024