Liverpool vs Chelsea: Jurgen Klopp calls Caoimhin Kelleher as world’s best No.2

Liverpool survived a high-intense Carabao Cup final in the regulation time before prevailing in a penalty shootout against Chelsea on Sunday. The Reds won the penalties 11-10 after Blues’ keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga skied his kick over the crossbar. During the regulation time, both sides had goals disallowed – Joel Matip for Liverpool and Kai Havertz (two) and Romelu Lukaku for Chelsea. Caoimhin Kelleher and Edouard Mendy made some good saves to keep the score goalless after 120 minutes of action. In the end, Liverpool won a pressure-filled penalty shootout in the narrowest of margins. After the match, Jurgen Klopp hailed young Liverpool shot-stopper Caoimhin Kelleher as the world’s best No.2 goalkeeper.

In his post-match press conference, Klopp was asked about how his relationship has grown with Kelleher. The manager, as quoted by their club’s website, said, “Is it only the last four years? So I don’t know when I saw Caoimhin the first time but it’s true, it’s quite a journey from when I saw him the first time, from the boy I saw the first time to the man he is today. I saw from the first second that he is an incredible talent. First John Achterberg, then Jack Robinson joined us since then as well, the boys are very, very positive.” 

“And if you know how a football team works and you know that goalies are very often separate, so I don’t see them all the time but I see them in decisive moments. So, the development is absolutely top-class. Alisson Becker is the best goalie in the world, for me. There are goalies out there but this goalie is absolutely insane. But to be 100 per cent honest, for me Caoimhin Kelleher is the best No.2 in the world as well, especially for the way we play.”

READ MORE – Reds win Carabao Cup after Kepa Arrizabalaga misses decisive penalty

He had an incredible game: Klopp on Kelleher 

Klopp then went on to praise the memorable night enjoyed by Kelleher during the regulation time as well as in the penalty shootout. “He had an incredible game. People asked me rightly two weeks ago or something if we will give Caoimhin another game to get some rhythm or whatever. To be 100 per cent honest, it was the first time I thought about it, ‘Yeah, he has rhythm.’ But that’s the life of a No.2, especially for a young No.2, that you just have to be ready when you are called,” he said.

“The game he played tonight was absolutely incredible. I’m not 100 per cent sure I have the full story of the whole game but I can remember at least two incredible saves – probably there were more. So, he proved that the decision to line him up was absolutely right. And then in a very spectacular penalty shootout, he showed the whole range of his skillset. First and foremost, he’s a goalkeeper but he finished one off with his really skilled feet. Top-class.”