As first tastes of fully-fledged Liverpool careers go, Caoimhin Kelleher has enjoyed one of the better ones in recent memory.
Thrown in at the deep end against Ajax in a crucial Champions League clash last week, Kelleher pulled off a string of top-class saves to prove he was worthy of selection ahead of Adrian, who watched on from the bench.
After following up that performance with another clean sheet on his Premier League bow against Wolves, Kelleher has been receiving rave reviews from the likes of Jurgen Klopp and Jordan Henderson.
Former Leeds striker Noel Whelan is the latest to applaud the 22-year-old Irishman in an interview with Football Insider, saying: “The young goalkeeper, he’s been superb from what I’ve seen. Commanding, pulls off the saves, really calm and confident in possession, which you have to be at Liverpool.”
Whelan, who made 243 Premier League appearances, added: “Jurgen Klopp has given him his chance at the right time and he’s grabbed it. Oh my God, it’s so hard for young goalkeepers, any tiny mistake gets punished, there’s no hiding place.”
After praising the cluster of youngsters shining at Anfield right now, Whelan singled out the ‘keeper as the pick of the bunch, saying: “He’s really impressed me, Kelleher, what an impressive keeper he is, he’s the best of the emerging players so far. Good luck to the young man.”
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There was unbridled panic among some Reds fans when news of Alisson’s latest injury setback emerged, but Kelleher’s mature performances should have quelled a lot of those fears.
After leapfrogging Adrian – who hasn’t covered himself in glory when called upon this year – Kelleher has stood in admirably for Liverpool’s Brazilian number one and could count himself unfortunate to be replaced whenever Alisson returns.
Unfortunately for Kelleher, despite his performances being worthy of a prolonged run in the side, Alisson stakes a strong claim for being the best goalkeeper in the world and, as such, is a must-pick when available.
