“It was probably an easy decision, to be honest” - Caoimhin Kelleher opens up on Liverpool exit 

Former Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher has opened up on his departure from the Merseyside club in the summer. The Irish keeper joined Brentford in the summer for an initial £12.5 million, ending his 10-year stint at Anfield.

Kelleher joined Liverpool's youth ranks back in 2015 as a youngster from Irish side Ringmahon. He made his first senior appearance in 2019 and established himself as the number two behind Alisson Becker.

During his time at Anfield, he made 67 appearances for the Reds and helped the club win six trophies. He played key roles for the Reds' in their FA Cup winning campaign in 2021-22 and League Cup triumphs in 2021-22 and 2023-24.

Kelleher has now opened up on his decision to quit Anfield and believes he made the right call. He has insisted that he needed to become a first-choice keeper in the Premier League. He said on the Ben Foster podcast.

"[On leaving Liverpool] It was a big decision, to be fair, but the timing was right for me as well. I was there 10 years – started when I was 16 at the Academy, and then all the way through, probably about five years with the first team."

"But I never had any loans or anything like that. So, all my playing experience was Liverpool – mostly as the no.2. It was hard leaving, because I've got good friendships there and good people are there. But in terms of football, it was probably an easy decision, to be honest," he added.

Kelleher continued:

"[I did notice the media attention] a little bit. When you come in and you play well, that's exactly what people say straight away [that I need to be playing first team football]. But the frustration for me was that people think it's just straightforward – that I can just leave."

"As if I play well and then I just go into Liverpool and say, 'Right, I'm going. Let me go.' It doesn’t work like that. That was more the frustration. Of course, I want to be playing every week – that's just not the way it was. Being a no.2 is hard; you get a few games, and you must do well. But it worked out well for me in the end at Liverpool," he concluded.

Kelleher has been ever-present for Brentford in the Premier League this season and has impressed as a number one. He has conceded 22 goals in 14 games while keeping two clean sheets.

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Craig Burley hits out at Liverpool star amid their recent struggles

Pundit Craig Burley has claimed that Liverpool skipper Virgil van Dijk deserves a lot of criticism for his showings this season. The former Chelsea midfielder has claimed that the Dutchman escapes criticism while most of his teammates are targeted by the media.

Burley has claimed that van Dijk has not led the team by example this campaign and has made other players scapegoats. He said, via ESPN:

"He does everything wrong, pass, doesn't close it down and turns his back like a coward. I'm fed up with sitting here, and it's 'Mo Salah who's not played well, Florian Wirtz, oh, he can't find his feet, Alexander Isak, Ekitike, the midfield, the dynamics changed.' He's the barometer of what's wrong this year. He's supposed to be the leader."

He added:

"You know, by what he does on the field and how he manipulates the backline and talks to people. All he's done all season is throw Kerkez under the bus, who didn't play. Throws his arms up in the air. He's making as many mistakes as any other player."

Burley has highlighted that van Dijk has been pretty poor this season and has made several high-profile errors. He particularly highlighted how the Dutchman was responsible for Chemsdine Talbi's goal in Liverpool's 1-1 draw against Sunderland. He added:

"Van Dijk, every game you can watch him and go, 'what's he doing?' You Just... It 's absolutely crazy, and he seems to be getting relatively, coming out of it relatively unscathed, and it's everybody else's fault. But for me at the back he has been as bad as anybody else and I think that goal and the way that he refused to close down and the fact that he turned his back is the epitome of his performances this season."

Since joining Liverpool in 2018 from Southampton in a then-world record £75 million deal, van Dijk has been exceptional for the Reds. He has often been hailed as the best defender in the world but has contributed higely behind the Reds' success.

The Dutchman has made 339 appearances for the Merseyside club till date helping them win nine trophies. However, he has not been at his usual best this season just like most of his teammates.