Caoimhin Kelleher has candidly shared his sentiments about potentially pricing himself out of a move from Liverpool with his stellar performances subbing for Alisson Becker last season.
As he steps up once more in the Brazilian's absence due to a hamstring injury under new manager Arne Slot, Kelleher is eager to leverage this chance to prove his worth as an elite deputy.
With Alisson on the treatment table, Kelleher is set to take the helm against Chelsea and is forthright about his ambitions: "Obviously my intention is to do as well as I can and show my ability. That is where my head is at with the situation. The best thing I can do is go and play well and maybe give the manager something to think about, give him a headache."
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"That was my thought process - but it's always been my thought process because obviously I am a football player and like every player, I want to play. I'm not going to enjoy myself or be happy sitting on the bench."
Nottingham Forest showed interest in taking the 25-year-old shot-stopper on loan. Yet when Liverpool clinched a $39m (£30m/€36m) deal for Valencia's Giorgi Mamardashvili, they arranged it so the Georgian would stay put until next season.
Kelleher is aware that Alisson's fresh fitness woes shine a spotlight on him once again. He shared: "It comes hand in hand that when you play for a club like Liverpool then other teams will be interested in you.
"I spoke with the manager about the situation. But I was quite clear before he came in - and it was never going to change because the fact is that I am up against Alisson and he's one of the best in the world. He's always going to be No 1 and he's always going to play."
He acknowledged the complexity of his almost-move: "There were other factors, like negotiations with clubs as well as Liverpool needing to be happy. At the end of the day, it just didn't materialise."
"But it's not the worst thing in the world to stay at a club like Liverpool. You get opportunities to play because we're in so many competitions as well. This isn't the end of the world."
Kelleher has particularly fond memories of facing Chelsea, having saved the decisive penalty in the 2022 Carabao Cup final shootout. He said: "It's been brilliant every time I've played them, to be fair. Two finals, happy memories - and hopefully there will be more.
"Obviously the penalty shoot-out is the main one, but last season was even more enjoyable the way it went with the young lads from the academy coming on. That was special for everyone, backs against the wall and winning in extra time. The first final was the first time I had been in the limelight. It was a good start for my career!
"I have been professional because if I'm not ready I am not doing myself justice. I need to give myself the best chance to play as well as I can. There have been no conversations about the future. That's for next summer and I'm not thinking about that right now."
