Liverpool starlet tipped to become a ‘household name’
A Liverpool starlet has been tipped to move on to bigger things.
Former Rangers, Birmingham and Aston Villa manager Alex McLeish has been speaking about Caoimhin Kelleher following his Champions League debut against Ajax.
Football Insider spoke to McLeish about the performance of the young Irishman, who was picked ahead of Adrian for the clash.
Alisson Becker picked up a surprise injury on the eve of the clash and his fitness record must be put under the spotlight following an uneasy year.
Adrian has put in a series of underwhelming performances following an excellent start to his Liverpool career, and his poor footballing ability led to Kelleher making his debut.
While not many fans would have known about the third-choice goalkeeper, McLeish thinks that’s about to change soon.
"“He’s not a household name but for him to go in there and do that, he will be – I’m sure a lot of people know his name today.“Klopp will be so relieved to get through to the next stage without any fuss now, without throwing in one of his big guns when they need much-needed rest and much-needed medical attention.”More from Rush The KopSet to return, Virgil Van Dijk facing heavy criticism back homeLiverpool making late comebacks all the rage once againWolves tilt gives Klopp opportunity to tinker with lineup following international dutyPlayers to watch in the matchup with WolvesPredicting Liverpool’s Next Five Premier League Fixtures"
Kelleher has been kept around the squad for two seasons now, despite watching other young goalkeepers earn their stripes away on loan. Kamil Grabara spent time at Huddersfield in the Championship and is now with Danish Superliga side AGF for a second spell.
The Irishman will be on a long road to reaching first-team status within the professional game, but he’s made a good start. However, the problems Adrian has experienced during his two seasons with Liverpool should serve as a reminder that development isn’t a linear process.
Kelleher played well against Ajax but could be brought back down to earth if he starts against Wolves on Sunday.
That will be a really interesting selection from Jurgen Klopp. Adrian is more experienced and is a good shot-stopper, but Kelleher is better with the ball at his feet and will pass the ball out better than the Spaniard.
After surviving a potentially tricky debut against Ajax, the youngster probably feels like he can survive anything. Another good performance and he’ll be even closer to being a household name.