Republic of Ireland boss Stephen Kenny believes that goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher should leave Liverpool this summer in order to gain more playing time. Kelleher, 24, made his first Premier League start of the season in the Reds’ final-day draw with Southampton. Kenny believes that a move away from Anfield is necessary for Kelleher’s development. “It looks like he will be on the move this summer, and it can only benefit him because he needs to play games,” he said. “He has been starved of games this year and that has been a problem for him.”
Kelleher has established himself as Jurgen Klopp’s second choice goalkeeper behind Alisson since making his debut for the club in 2019 after coming through Liverpool’s academy. He was part of the Reds’ run to the Carabao Cup final in 2022, scoring the winning penalty in the shootout victory against Chelsea. However, a hamstring injury last summer ruled him out of the first two months of the domestic campaign and, with Liverpool knocked out early in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup, Kelleher saw his minutes diminish further.
Kenny believes that Kelleher must move on to pastures new to play regularly, especially at his age. “He is very talented, and it is hard to leave Liverpool, such an iconic club. It is not easy to move, there is a process you go through at a club like that,” he said. “The previous season was a success to a degree for him, winning the League Cup and playing in the cup competitions, there were a lot of games. They got knocked out early this year so there wasn’t much football for him. I think he is ready to go and play regularly, he certainly needs to play as he is not so young now, he is 24. I think it will happen this summer. It is not right normally to talk about a player moving, but at Liverpool, he is behind one of the best goalkeepers in the world. It is not going to get any easier and you can’t improve when you aren’t playing.”