Caoimhin Kelleher’s two Alisson moments make for a dream night for Liverpool goalkeeper Mark Jones

Jurgen Klopp is no stranger to running across the Anfield pitch to celebrate with his goalkeeper.

Wednesday will mark two years since he jumped into Alisson to celebrate the fact that Jordan Pickford had just juggled the ball on Divock Origi’s path against the Kop.

Origi scored, Klopp gave Alisson a bear hug, and just thinking about that moment now only serves to remember what soccer was like with the crowd.

It was cool, right? Well, he will be back soon.

A smaller number will return at the weekend, and Anfield’s could return to see Liverpool’s last goalkeeper embraced by Klopp. And how he deserved it.

Caoimhin Kelleher, 22, a goalkeeper of “natural ability to play soccer,” Klopp said after the game, had the opportunity to take Alisson’s place against Ajax.

Fifth competitive appearance in Liverpool for the Cork-born youngster, and his first in Europe.

It went quite well.

For years to come, you’ll have to imagine crowds witnessing what he did, but Klopp certainly was full-time.

Kelleher received a hug and a squeeze from his coach after a good performance that radiated calm at a time when Liverpool needed him.

The loss of Alisson to a hamstring injury would surely have threatened to send Klopp over the edge given problems across his team, and that surely weighed on his mind when he opted to choose his usual third option over Adrian, a goalkeeper. that has burned. lots of Liverpool heads this season.

Kelleher was not clouded by the 7-2 at Aston Villa or, more pertinently, by Atlético de Madrid last season, so while Klopp won’t say so openly, it was important that what currently counts for his defense first choice has a different presence. there on a night when they were to be examined.

But when they were, Kelleher stood tall.

He made a couple of comfortable stops in the first period, nothing you wouldn’t have expected of him, but in the second it was necessary for the bigger things, jumping to his right for an effort and then saving the best for late afternoon.

Nine days after Everton’s game in December 2018, Liverpool beat Napoli 1-0 to qualify for the last 16 of the Champions League.

It was a game that featured a nice late save from Alisson at the Anfield Road end as he stayed out of visiting striker Arkadiusz Milik, with the Pole owning Liverpool’s Champions League future at his feet at the time.

They went on to win everything.

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar’s Kelleher save was not that dramatic, nor was it absolutely pivotal for Liverpool in terms of qualifying. They still had FC Midtjjlland out next week, of course.

But now it means the Reds can go there knowing that they have won the group and that Klopp can pick whichever team he wants. Jordan Henderson’s full-time smile when he was informed of that fact showed that he knows he has a week off.

So it was a great save at a great moment for the goalkeeper. Right now, he will be a popular figure with many of his teammates who have played many more games for Liverpool, and those who will.

Tasked with representing one of the best in the world, Kelleher stood his ground.

He deserved that hug from Klopp.

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