Caoimhin Kelleher maintains that becoming a first choice goalkeeper remains his long-term goal but for time being his sole focus is to fill the big shoes of the injured Alisson Becker starting this afternoon at Anfield against Chelsea.
Regardless of whatever level you play in, Footballers live for the big moments in the big games, and while the talismanic Brazilian will undoubtedly be frustrated by the timing of his hamstring injury, for Kelleher it truly is a gift from the footballing gods.
While it has been an exceptional start to the Arne Slot reign in terms of results, the opposition the Reds are set to face goes up substantially in quality.
If the estimates are on the mark, Alisson, could miss anywhere from 6-8 weeks of game time ruling him out of clashes in the league with Arsenal, Man City and Aston Villa and Champions League fixtures against Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen to name just a few.
Normally there would be a bit of trepidation among the fanbase when the number two keeper is called upon for a sustained period against such high level opponents,
But if there is one player who would be undaunted by the occasion it is the 25 year-old Irishman who had nerves of steel during the epic 2022 Carabao Cup final and again was sublime when facing the same opposition in the Cup final last February.
However this story could have been so different if Kelleher had made a move away which has long being speculated with the likes of Brighton, Wolves, Newcastle and most recently Nottingham Forest all showing an interest but nothing has come to fruition.
As Kelleher walks out onto Anfield for his 50th senior appearance for the club today, his sole focus will be to play his part in a Liverpool victory as the Mirror reported.
“Obviously my intention is to do as well as I can and show my ability. That is where my head is at with the situation. The best thing I can do is go and play well and maybe give the manager something to think about, give him a headache.
“But it does work both ways. I played so many times last season - and if you do well your valuation goes up because obviously the club is going to want a good profit. I was clear (in the summer) that I wanted to play first-team football, whether that was here or elsewhere. I wanted to be a No.1.
“That was my thought process - but it’s always been my thought process because obviously I am a football player and like every player, I want to play. I’m not going to enjoy myself or be happy sitting on the bench.”
Despite the natural competitive urge to play every game, the academy graduate knows full well that when you are behind the best goalkeeper in the world, that just isn’t realistic.
And he realises that there are a lot of worse places he could be.
“It comes hand in hand that when you play for a club like Liverpool then other teams will be interested in you.
I spoke with the manager about the situation. But I was quite clear before he came in - and it was never going to change because the fact is that I am up against Alisson and he is always going to be No 1 and he’s always going to play.
“But it’s not the worst thing in the world to stay at a club like Liverpool. You get opportunities to play because we’re in so many competitions as well. This isn’t the end of the world.
“I have been professional because if I’m not ready I am not doing myself justice. I need to give myself the best chance to play as well as I can. There have been no conversations about the future. That’s for next summer and I’m not thinking about that right now."
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