Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher will enter the final stages of his career with a lot of support from Jurgen Klopp.
The 25-year-old admitted he may have to leave Liverpool to fulfill his ambition to play regular top-flight football after replacing Alisson Becker during his most productive season to date.
Whether his future lies at Anfield under new manager Arne Slott or elsewhere, he will go about his business buoyed by Klopp’s parting words after his reign on Merseyside ends.
Asked what the German’s advice was, Kelleher said: “He had some nice words for me.
I was with him for a few years and he said ‘You’ve become a brilliant goalkeeper in that time.’ He will follow my career wherever I go. He wants to see me play and be happy.”
Klopp had no qualms about turning to Kelleher, who has played so wonderfully for him in the past – notably in the Carabao Cup, which brought another winner’s medal last season – when 31-year-old Brazil international Alisson was sidelined with injury in February.
The Irishman, who will be hoping to get the nod for his country’s friendlies with Hungary and Portugal over the next week, has featured in 14 consecutive games, proving in the process that he has what it takes to be number one and bring his future to increasingly sharper focus.
However, the South American has been reinstated on his return to fitness and while his assistant is tight-lipped about the fact that his intention is to unseat him as Slott prepares for his first campaign in charge, he is realistic enough to know that if he can’t, he might having to move to fulfill his dreams.
Kelleher, who was the subject of a January bid from Nottingham Forest and has since been linked with Celtic, said: “In the season I’ve had, I’ve played a lot of games and I’ve had a taste this season of being number one.
“Whether it’s in Liverpool or somewhere else remains to be seen. My main focus at the moment is to be number one.
“Obviously I love playing for Ireland. My big ambition is to be number one here – obviously that only goes hand in hand when I’m also number one at the club.
“It also plays a big part, in terms of helping my case to be Ireland’s number one.”
Wherever the summer takes him, Kelleher will head into the new campaign confident of his ability to play at the highest level.
He said: “I don’t think there was any internal doubt from me. I think anyone in Liverpool would be the same. More than just getting the chance to prove to everyone else that I’m good enough to play at this level.
“I was always waiting for that opportunity to win a series of games and yes, I think that was the main goal, to prove myself to everyone else.
“I always believed in myself that I was good enough, but it was to show everyone that I was capable of playing at this level.”
