Caoihim Kelleher justifies Jurgen Klopp’s great show of faith in his ability

Another day, another great injury story. Liverpool’s totems have been falling with increasing frequency and Jurgen Klopp was feeling even more anguish Tuesday night.

Alisson Becker, the world’s best goalkeeper, has joined Liverpool’s growing injury list with a hamstring injury that will likely keep him out for the next fortnight. He should be back for the top-of-the-table showdown with Tottenham on December 16, but no one at Anfield will take that for granted.

Alisson, like Virgil van Dijk, is irreplaceable. Liverpool were forced to negotiate a three-week stint in October without the Brazilian and his replacement, Adrian, did little to reassure his defenders.

When Adrian was last seen in Amsterdam in October, he was nervous and reckless and at one point found himself at the end of a verbal volley from the normally composed Joe Gomez for being too brash. That is why the selection of Klopp’s team for the Ajax visit was so significant.

Klopp is not averse to giving young players a chance but it was still a great show of faith in Caoihim Kelleher’s ability to provide the gloves in Alisson’s absence.

This was not an event to give someone some experience, it was a night to define Liverpool’s European campaign.

Kelleher has always been well regarded by Liverpool’s coaching staff, his attitude is outstanding and he has been involved with the team many times in recent years, but this felt like an important night for the young man from Cork. It did not disappoint.

It would be wrong to say that Ajax peppered Liverpool’s goal steadily from start to finish, but when they got closer they found Kelleher alert and ready to repel danger, reaching out at the right time and keeping things in order.

His decision making was sensible – the way he launched himself to retrieve a loose ball and then throw it 40 yards to Sadio Mane was particularly impressive, and his saves were equally impressive, denying the same man, Noussair Mazraoui, on either side of the line. half. -time.

As good as those saves were, they usurped them in the final minutes when he was well positioned and had strong arms to disprove veteran Klass-Jan Huntelaar, whose header was firm and precise, point-blank.

More than anything, Kelleher was down to earth and calm, and at a time when Liverpool need that at the rear, he could well have secured him a first Premier League appearance this weekend against Wolves.

Klopp, more than anyone, will have been encouraged by how Kelleher handled the pressure. If he needed any guidance on how he had done it, the final whistle came when his manager walked up to him and wrapped him in a bear hug. He had earned it well.