KID KELLEHER WINS ALISSON’S APPROVAL
IN the middle of a week that Caoimhin Kelleher will never forget, one message provided the ultimate seal of approval.
Kelleher, the 22-year- old from Cork, has found his phone lighting up at increasingly regular intervals with good wishes from family and friends, after he made his Champions League and Premier League debuts against Ajax and Wolves, crowning each with a clean sheet.
An outstanding save from Ajax veteran Klaas- Jan huntelaar in the dying minutes — turning away a point-blank header — ensured Liverpool qualified for the knockout stages with a game to spare and led Jurgen Klopp to wrap Kelleher in a bear hug at the final whistle. however, it was a text from Alisson — the man for whom he is deputising — that left Kelleher (below) smiling broadly yesterday as he reflected on a whirlwind seven days that will continue tonight against FC Midtjylland.
‘Alisson just said well done and that he was proud of me,’ said Kelleher, who has always been held in high regard by Liverpool’s coaches.
‘ the messages were all nice and supportive, from friends, family, former coaches, everyone really. It was good to get them. It was nice to make that save (from huntelaar). It was just an instinctive reaction. he was that close, I just tried to get anything I could on it. Luckily I was able to get it away to safety. ‘For the manager to come up to me, it was a nice moment.
‘It’s been a decent week! What can I say? two debuts, it’s all a bit mad. I’ve just tried to take my opportunities.
‘I’ve had two games and felt I did well. that’s all I can do. the more games you play, the more comfortable you feel.’
Liverpool will finish top of Group D no matter what happens in herning tonight and Klopp is expected to give debuts at some stage to academy graduates Leighton Clarkson and Jake Cain, both of whom have impressed the manager with their progress.
Each victory in the Champions League group stage is worth around £2.5million and Klopp has made it clear Liverpool are not travelling just to fulfil a fixture. they intend to win.
‘From a financial point of view, winning a game is big,’ said Klopp. ‘We will do everything we can to win and we want 15 points (in the group). ‘All the young boys helped us. Caoimhin was always a talent and now he has a chance to show it on the big stage. Without them we’d have been lost.’
FC MIDTJYLLAND (4-2-3-1) Hansen; Andersson, Sviatchenko, Scholz, Paulinho; Onyeka, Cajuste; Dreyer, Evander, Sisto; Kaba. LIVERPOOL (4-3-3) Kelleher; N Williams, Fabinho, R Williams, Tsimikas; Clarkson, Jones, Keita; Minamino, Origi, Jota.