“It would be totally unfair to keep him for another year.”
Shay Given believes that Caoimhin Kelleher has to leave Liverpool this summer, and that he should stay in the Premier League rather than drop down to the Championship.
The Republic of Ireland legend thinks that now is the time for Kelleher to move on with his career and get proper first team football.
The Cork native has played second string throughout his Liverpool career to Alisson Becker, and although he has enjoyed some success like being the hero in the Carabao Cup in a penalty shootout, he simply isn’t getting enough game time.
“It will be interesting to see what happens,” Given told SportsJOE.
“I think Kelleher, Jurgen Klopp, and everyone is at the stage now where he has been patient, he has supported Alisson who is a brilliant goalkeeper, but the problem with Kelleher is that he’s a very good goalkeeper as well, and he deserves to play as well.
“If he wasn’t so good, he probably would have been let go a year or two, but because he’s so good, Klopp doesn’t want to lose him either.
“I think it’s at the stage now where they either sell him in the summer, or he has to go on loan for a season, because it would be totally unfair to keep him for another year, I really do think that.
“Where is he going to end up? You look at different clubs in the division and who needs a goalkeeper, and there’s not loads that jump off the page, but I would Kelleher to get into the Premier League, I really would.
“I think he’s at that level. I know Championship is not a major step down, but I think he’s good enough to play in the Premier League, it’s just which club need a goalkeeper?
“Some of the clubs coming up might be in the market for goalkeepers as well, but I would rather he got to an established club in the Premier League, mid-table or something.
“You don’t want him to join someone where he will get peppered every week. You need some sort of backing front of that, I always say that you’re only as good as the team you’re playing behind at times.
“Kelleher is good enough to play in the Premier League, it’s just a matter of where he’s going to end up. I’ve met him couple of times, and he’s just desperate to get playing now.”
Shay Given is an ambassador for LeoVegas.
Related links:
- Stephen Kenny wades into Caoimhín Kelleher Liverpool debate again
- Caoimhin Kelleher linked with Brentford as Liverpool exit looms
- Caoimhin Kelleher set to leave Liverpool and it is obvious where he should go next
