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Three things we learned from 2020 – time’s up for Keita

By Advait Raghunath

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - JULY 22: Jordan Henderson of Liverpool holds the Premier League Trophy aloft along side Mohamed Salah as they celebrate winning the League during the presentation ceremony of the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Chelsea FC at Anfield on July 22, 2020 in Liverpool, England. Football Stadiums around Europe remain empty due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - JULY 22: Jordan Henderson of Liverpool holds the Premier League Trophy aloft along side Mohamed Salah as they celebrate winning the League during the presentation ceremony of the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Chelsea FC at Anfield on July 22, 2020 in Liverpool, England. Football Stadiums around Europe remain empty due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images) /
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Caoimhin Kelleher, Liverpool
Caoimhin Kelleher, Liverpool (Photo by Peter Powell – Pool/Getty Images) /

Jurgen Klopp has found a new backup goalkeeper

After Adrian’s unforgettable errors in the second-leg tie against Atletico Madrid in March 2020, the calls to find a new backup to Alisson were stronger than ever.  However, Jurgen Klopp stuck by his number 2 in the 2020/21 season. For a while at least.

Alisson has suffered two injuries so far this season, keeping him out for a total of six games, three each in the Premier League and Champions League. The first injury, back in October, saw Adrian replace him.

The Spaniard’s return to action was far from ideal. He conceded seven in Aston Villa’s embarrassing drubbing over Liverpool, with a couple of goals as a result of his incompetence. Somehow, though, he kept his spot in the side for the fierce Merseyside derby and a narrow win against Ajax.

Alisson’s second injury, in December, prompted Jurgen Klopp to ponder over whether he could trust Adrian as the replacement. The answer was no. Instead, he turned to Caoimhin Kelleher, the Irish goalkeeper who had only made four previous starts for the club, all of them coming in domestic competitions.

The 22-year-old was superb, conceding only once in the three games he started. He earned the faith of the supporters with his impeccable shot-stopping and general command over the defensive line.

Now that Alisson is back, Kelleher has been demoted to the bench, whereas Adrian is nowhere in the fray. This could very well be the 33-year-old’s last season at Anfield, and to be fair to him he has taken the decision well.

In a candid interview reported by Liverpool Echo, Kelleher opened up about how Adrian stayed classy while surrendering his role as the second-choice goalkeeper.

"The Irishman said: “Adrian was a really great support. He told me, ‘I’m with you 100% and supporting you no matter what’. To get that from him was really kind of him.”"

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