An “outstanding” Liverpool player has admitted that he would like to leave the club, in order to enjoy a fresh challenge in his career.
This has been a memorable era at Anfield, with Jurgen Klopp taking the Reds to incredible heights, winning the Champions League, Premier League and many other trophies.
Arne Slot has now come in as his replacement and has also hit the ground running, with his predecessor leaving behind a squad littered with world-class players.
Some individuals struggle for minutes, however, and have to accept that bigger and better footballers are ahead of them in the pecking order.
One of those is Caoimhin Kelleher, who is understandably finding it hard to oust Alisson as Liverpool’s first-choice goalkeeper, and it looks as though he wants to move on.
In quotes provided by The Irish Times [via This Is Anfield], the Republic of Ireland international admitted that a new challenge makes sense for him at this point in his career:
“I made it clear in the last few years I want to go be a number one and play week in, week out. The club made the decision to get another goalkeeper [Mamardashvili]. From the outside looking in, it looks like they have made a decision to go in another direction.
“My ambition has always been clear the last few seasons, that I want to be a number one. It looks like it is 100 per cent my decision but at times it is not always in my hands.”
Our thoughts on Kelleher leaving Liverpool…
Kelleher has been brilliant for Liverpool, especially last season when he filled in for the injured Alisson for a chunk of time, with Klopp describing him as “outstanding”.
It is wholly understandable why he believes a move away from Anfield would be best for his development, however, considering he is largely warming the substitutes’ bench.
With Giorgi Mamardashvili also arriving from Valencia, being loaned out to the La Liga side for the 2024/25 season, competition for places is only going to get stronger, too.
Should Kelleher leave Liverpool next summer, he will depart as a popular figure who has done his bit for the cause, hardly ever letting the team down and making 47 appearances to date.
