View: 71% ace shows he’s 1st-team ready for Liverpool, he was ‘Outstanding’ for his country
Caoimhin Kelleher proved to Arne Slot he is ready to start for Liverpool after an “outstanding” performance for the Republic of Ireland in the 2-0 loss against Greece.
The 25-year-old is set for an extended run between the sticks for the Reds after news emerged Alisson will be sidelined until after the November international break for an injury sustained in the 1-0 win against Crystal Palace [Sky Sports, 9 October].
Kelleher was incredible for the Republic of Ireland, albeit he will wake up in the headlines for all the wrong reasons after his error gifted Petros Mantalos a 91st-minute goal to settle the UEFA Nations tie on Sunday [13 October], after Anastasios Bakasetas gave the hosts a one-goal lead early in the second half.
As former Ireland player Ray Houghton said live on RTE [13 October]: “I thought [Kelleher] was outstanding throughout and then the mistake at the end – he didn’t deserve that.”
Liverpool face their toughest run yet after the international break and Kelleher has surely eased Slot’s concerns in the absence of Alisson.
Caoimhin Kelleher can step up for Liverpool in Alisson absence
The goalkeeper has not been shy of his desire to become a first-team regular in the Premier League. Liverpool turned down a late approach from Nottingham Forest in the summer for his signature [The Athletic], and with Alisson’s poor injury record continuing into the new season, the decision looks a calculated move from the club.
Kelleher already has a Premier League match under his belt this season, starting the 3-0 win against Bournemouth with the Reds number one missing with a minor issue. Still, Alisson’s growing track record of picking up injuries in crucial periods is becoming a cause of concern.
For the time being, international duty with the Republic of Ireland has been Kelleher’s main source of minutes this season and his performances for the national side set the goalkeeper in good stead to ensure the Reds remain competitive on all fronts in the Brazilian’s absence.
Kelleher was exceptional in thwarting the Greek attack at the Stadio Georgios Karaiskakis, producing five saves, and saving 71 per cent of the shots on target [Sofascore].
However, his Man of the Match performance was slightly tainted. His frailty on the ball was evident for all to see, completing only 65 per cent of his pass attempts, 27.77 per cent of his long ball attempts, and his one error leading to the second goal, passing the ball straight to Mantalos to wrap up the contest for the hosts.
While he may lack the skillset of his Brazilian teammate, Kelleher can be as capable of building the Liverpool attack on the ball – against Bournemouth, he completed 89 per cent of his passes and produced seven saves, preventing 1.53 goals with his efforts [WhoScored].
Last term, when Alisson picked up yet another long-term injury, he started 10 Premier League matches and maintained an unbeaten record of eight wins and two draws throughout the spell.
In that time, Kelleher completed 79.3 per cent of his passes, and saved 71.8 per cent of 28 shots faced to rank in the top 76 percentile of all Premier League goalkeepers [Fotmob].
He also averaged 1.10 goals against per 90 minutes – only 0.03 more than Alisson, who averaged 1.07 goals against per 90 minutes in the league [FBref].
With the impending arrival of Giorgi Mamardashvili at the end of the season, it is all but certain this will be Kelleher’s final campaign at Anfield.
He has produced some fantastic moments for Liverpool over the years and was instrumental in the Carabao Cup final win last season against Chelsea.
If anything, Kelleher can use this extended run in the first team to put himself in the shop window for next summer and finally earn the number one spot at a Premier League side. It is the least that he deserves for his service to the Reds.
In other Liverpool news, here’s how the Liverpool Women’s side rated against Manchester City in the WSL.
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