2 days ago
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Former Liverpool shot-stopper Caoimhin Kelleher has shed light on his decision to leave Anfield, marking the end of a decade-long stint with the club.
The 27-year-old initially joined the Reds' youth ranks from Irish outfit Ringmahon in 2015. He climbed through the ranks, made the leap to first-team football in 2019, and debuted in a Carabao Cup match against MK Dons that September. Over the years, Kelleher cemented his position as Liverpool's reliable no. 2 behind Alisson.
He racked up nearly 70 appearances across all competitions for Liverpool and played a pivotal role in the team's Premier League title-winning campaign last season, as well as the Carabao Cup victories in 2022 and 2024.
Kelleher was also on the bench when the Reds clinched the Champions League in 2019, the club's sixth European Cup. His medal collection from his time at Anfield also includes the 2022 FA Cup and the 2019 UEFA Super Cup.
Despite being the second choice, Kelleher was frequently called into action in recent seasons due to Alisson's recurring injury issues.
"It was a big decision, to be fair, but the timing was right for me as well," Kelleher said on the Ben Foster podcast. "I was there 10 years – started when I was 16 at the Academy, and then all the way through, probably about five years with the first team.
"But I never had any loans or anything like that. So, all my playing experience was Liverpool - mostly as the No. 2.
"It was hard leaving, because I've got good friendships there and good people are there. But in terms of football, it was probably an easy decision, to be honest.
"[I did notice the media attention] a little bit. When you come in, and you play well, that's exactly what people say straight away [that I need to be playing first team football]. But the frustration for me was that people think it's just straightforward – that I can just leave.
"As if I play well and then I just go into Liverpool and say, 'Right, I'm going. Let me go.' It doesn’t work like that.
"That was more the frustration. Of course, I want to be playing every week – that's just not the way it was. Being a No. 2 is hard; you get a few games, and you must do well. But it worked out well for me in the end at Liverpool."
This season, Kelleher has featured in all 14 of Brentford's Premier League games. He has recorded two clean sheets during that spell, with the Bees sitting 13th in the table, having secured six victories, one draw and seven losses.
Meanwhile, Liverpool has seen Mamardashvili step up to the plate as the second-choice goalkeeper due to Alisson's ongoing injury woes, making 10 appearances across all competitions.
The Georgian shot-stopper has been in goal for four of the Reds' five Champions League matches this season, as well as a five-match stretch in the Premier League - a period during which Arne Slot's side suffered a dreadful run of form, losing four games.
However, he was relegated back to the bench for the 3-0 home defeat against Nottingham Forest, and remained there for the subsequent victory over West Ham and draw with Sunderland.
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