‘It’s his time’ - Paul Robinson urges 20-time international to leave Liverpool this summer
The 26-year-old has been heavily linked with a number of top Premier League sides
Liverpool are blessed with arguably the strongest goalkeeping department in Europe.
As it stands, Brazil international Alisson Becker and Republic of Ireland star Caoimhin Kelleher are the two leading choices between the sticks.
But in the very near future matters will become even more competitive when 2024 summer signing Giorgi Mamardashvili, who dazzled for Georgia in the Euros, returns from his loan spell at Spanish heavyweights Valencia.
At this moment in time, Kelleher has been Liverpool’s leading goalkeeper in Alisson’s absence and the 26-year-old has proven himself to be an excellent shot-stopper with six clean sheets in the league and Europe while rarely putting a foot wrong between the sticks.
His form is little surprise to the Liverpool faithful, who have often been impressed by the 20-cap international in a whole host of big occasions - including both penalty shoot-outs in League Cup final victories over Chelsea in 2022 and 2023 along with high-profile games against the likes of Manchester City and Manchester United last term.
But former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson has sensationally claimed that Kelleher should leave Liverpool in the near future and has claimed the Irishmen is simply too good to be sitting on the bench.
While speaking with Football Insider, Robinson explained: “Regardless of what Kelleher does between now and Allison’s return, when he’s back, he plays.
“That’s the difficult life of a number two. He’s been exceptional this season, but he understands the role.
“Next year, I think he wants to be number one. With the opportunities he’s had and the age he’s at, he doesn’t want to compete with Mamardsahvili or be on the bench.
“It’s his time to go to another club and go and be the number one.
“So Liverpool fans, enjoy him while you’ve got him because I think he will be moving on come the end of the season.”
Kelleher has been at Liverpool since the age of 16 when he signed from the academy of local Irish team Ringmahon Rangers. He broke into the first team set-up in 2019 and has since made 59 senior first team appearances across all competitions, keeping 21 clean sheets and winning 44 of his matches.
This season he notably became the first Liverpool goalkeeper in 115 years to save two penalties in back-to-back games after denying both Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe and Southampton’s Adam Armstrong from the spot.
The likes of Chelsea, Newcastle and Celtic are all believed to be interested in the goalkeeper after his impressive run of form.