Pep Lijnders in agreement with Liverpool star after message to Jurgen Klopp
Pep Lijnders has admitted that Caoimhin Kelleher needs more game - just days after the Liverpool No.2 stressed a similar point to Jurgen Klopp.
Kelleher, 24, is behind Alisson Becker in the Anfield pecking order but is still held in high regard by the Reds coaching team. The Republic of Ireland international is usually given the opportunity to impress in cup competitions and is expected to start against Leicester City in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night.
Speaking ahead of the match, Liverpool assistant Lijnders waxed lyrical about the "world-class" shot-stopper, insisting he was capable of playing for any team in the top-flight. He said: “Caoimh Kelleher has a long-term contract, for me he can play in any Premier League team.
“He’s not a talent anymore, he’s just a world-class goalkeeper but he needs game time. It was a really good thing that he stayed with us, that Jurgen could give him perspective. We’re really happy he is with us.
“You want every position with top ones who can play any kind of game. Whatever happens, we can put Caoimhin in and the game will not change a lot. He’s calm with his feet, he knows where to bring the ball, he can read it and he is exceptional in one-on-one situations. We are happy he is with us, and hopefully he stays for a long time.”
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Kelleher himself made it clear to Klopp that he wanted more games following last week's win over LASK. The goalkeeper played the full 90 minutes in the Europa League tie - his first start since the final day of the 2022/23 Premier League campaign against Southampton.
Speaking to Liverpoolfc.com after the win, Kelleher said: "It's my first competitive game since Southampton. Same as outfielders, there's always that bit of rustiness. It was nice to get out there and hopefully I can play a few more games in this competition."
Join the debate! Do you think Liverpool should be playing Kelleher more? Let us know here.
Pep Ljinders has admitted that Liverpool No.2 Caoimhin Kelleher needs more game time (Suhaimi Abdullah/NurPhoto)Although Kelleher has made just a handful of senior appearances for the Reds, he was still courted by Premier League clubs this summer. It was revealed that Brentford were interested in acquiring his services in the final weeks of last season.
However, the Bees decided against a move for Kelleher due to Liverpool's demands. The Reds' reported £15million asking price was deemed 'unrealistic' by the Londoners, who instead signed Mark Flekken from SC Freiburg as a replacement for David Raya, who would later join Arsenal.
Kelleher's aspiration to play more games this year is likely to heavily hinge on how Liverpool fare in cup competitions. The Reds failed to win a trophy last term but came agonisingly close to completing an unprecedented quadruple the year before, where they won both the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup.
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