The reliable betting company has prepared a 1xBet review of one of Ireland’s most talented football players career.
A good start
“I don’t know how many good goalkeepers there are in Ireland, but we definitely have a miracle for them,” was Jürgen Klopp’s comment on Caoimhín Kelleher’s debut. At a press conference on December 1, 2020, after the match against Ajax, the German was ecstatic: his team got an important victory in the Champions League, and the debutant goalkeeper lived up to the expectations and didn’t concede a single goal.
Despite his young age, Caoimhín was very confident and composed in the match against Ajax. The fans were impressed by his phenomenal reactions and top-class footwork. The latter should come as no surprise: Kelleher was a centre forward until the age of 14 and regularly scored 20-30 goals at youth level.
Jürgen Klopp’s decision to use young Caoimhín instead of the injured Alisson was so unexpected that the Liverpool staff hadn’t even prepared a kit for him, and one letter was missing from Kelleher’s surname on his jersey. But such a mishap in a debut game can be considered a good sign: something like this happened to David Beckham many years ago.
In the 2020-21 season, Kelleher played 5 matches for the Liverpool first team conceding 3 goals. He managed to impress Klopp and became the Reds’ second choice goalkeeper.
The best second choice goalkeeper in the world
During the next two seasons, Alisson had no health problems, and Kelleher kept waiting for his chance on the bench. Caoimhín played in the early stages of cup matches and showed his readiness to replace the Brazilian any time.
Kelleher’s career breakthrough came in the 2023-24 season. Jürgen Klopp made Caoimhín the first choice goalkeeper in the Europa League and the EFL Cup, where the team triumphed. Despite numerous injuries, Liverpool made it to the final and beat Chelsea in the decisive match, having 7 former academy players in the squad. Kelleher became one of the main heroes of that triumph.
In February, Liverpool lacked players because many of them were injured, including Alisson, who was out for 3 months. Kelleher started playing regularly in the EPL, and, with him in goal, Liverpool had an 8-match undefeated streak. Kelleher’s play was the epitome of reliability, as is the betting company 1xBet Ireland customer service. It was after that period that Klopp nicknamed Caoimhín as the best second-choice goalkeeper in the world.
The Arne Slot era and Kelleher’s future
Caoimhín’s phenomenal reactions and ability to choose the right position made him a desirable transfer target for many EPL clubs. Nottingham Forest offered £15m, but Liverpool decided to keep Kelleher. Arne Slot was soon appointed head coach, and a new era began at the club.
Due to his participation in the Copa América, Alisson missed almost the entire preseason, but the new coach was clear about his choice: “If Allisson is all right, he’ll play, Kelleher is number two.” In the EPL round 6, Becker was injured again, and Caoimhín replaced his teammate. Our hero shone even brighter: in three Champions League matches, he didn’t concede a single goal, and in the home game against Real Madrid, Kelleher saved a penalty from Kylian Mbappé. Under Arne Slot, Liverpool has only lost 1 game in over half a year, and Caoimhín has made a big contribution to this result.
As a youngster, Kelleher had trials with the youth teams of Manchester United, Aston Villa and other English clubs, but only Liverpool believed in the Irishman, and now the Reds have two top goalkeepers. Fans have already nicknamed Kelleher the “New Prince of Cork”, with Klopp labelling the EFL Cup as “Caoimhín’s personal tournament”. Despite exploits and acclaim, he remains Liverpool’s number two. But that won’t last long: Kelleher will either become the first choice goalkeeper in his current team or shine at another EPL club.
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