Jurgen Klopp explains why he didn't allow 'exceptional talent' to leave Liverpool amid Tottenham links

Jurgen Klopp has explained why he did not allow Caoimhin Kelleher to depart Liverpool in the summer as the goalkeeper prepares for his first Premier League outing of the season.

Kelleher will line up between the posts when the Reds welcome Fulham to Anfield on Sunday (14.00 GMT). He's set for his longest run in the Liverpool team with No.1 Alisson Becker sidelined with a hamstring injury for at least the next three games.

There was speculation that Kelleher could depart Liverpool in the summer transfer window. Now aged 25, the Republic of Ireland manager has previously admitted he wants games under his belt. Meanwhile, former Eire boss Stephen Kenny revealed that he expected Kelleher to move on.

But despite being linked to the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Brighton and Wolves, Kelleher remained as deputy stopper on Merseyside. He's been a regular in the Europa League - impressing in Thursday's 4-0 win against LASK 0 and Carabao Cup this season, Now gets set for just a second Premier League outing in as many campaigns.

Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Liverpool manager Klopp said: We see him every day in training. He is an exceptional, exceptional talent. Maybe we don’t mention his name often enough, but it is a John Achterberg thing. From day one when I am in, he told me this will be our homegrown boy who will make it. Since then, we see every step. He was a boy and now he’s a man. And yeah, top goalie, no doubt.

"He is in general a focused person. You will not see him in a bar celebrating the clean sheet [against LASK]! That is not a problem. Caoimhin is prepared for that, he wants that now. We had discussions in the summer about it, obviously, but as long as we don’t have a solution we cannot loan players. He is homegrown and all these kind of things, so we have to make sure first and foremost, the first responsibility is we do the best for Liverpool and then we have to see how we can sort it. Now, obviously, for him it is the situation he didn’t want to have [Alisson Becker being injured] but obviously somehow, yes, because he wants opportunities, he wants to play and now he will get a few games, definitely. And I trust him.