The Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher was supposed to leave the Reds on loan in the summer transfer window, according to his national team manager.
Kelleher has been called into the Republic of Ireland senior squad, despite having played just four times for his club.
And the Boys in Green boss Stephen Kenny has told Balls.Ie that the 21-year-old ‘needs to get matches under his belt’.
Kenny added that an injury to the Liverpool number one Alisson Becker is the reason that hasn’t yet happened, with an unnamed Dutch side ready to take him.
And Kelleher was apparently keen to move.
“Caoimhin Kelleher was exceptional for the U21s. In training, Alan Kelly our goalkeeping coach can’t believe how good Caoimhin Kelleher is. He hadn’t appreciated that he was actually as good as that,” Kenny said.
“We really need to see Caoimhin Kelleher get matches under his belt, because he is ready to play for us. We feel he is good enough to play for Ireland, but he’s not playing matches so it’s an issue.
“He was supposed to go on loan to Holland in the last window in the Eredivisie. When the goalkeeper at Liverpool [Alisson] got injured, that move was pulled on him then.
“He wanted to go on loan, he was ready to play. We certainly would have benefitted from that. It’s not easy to play at Liverpool, they’re the world champions at club level.”
Kenny, who was also Kelleher’s manager in Ireland’s Under-21s, has called up Darren Randolph and Mark Travers as well as the Liverpool man.
But the problem the 49-year-old has is that neither player is the current first choice at their club.
Kelleher moved to Liverpool from Ringmahon Rangers in 2015 and has around 18 months left on his contract with Jurgen Klopp’s team.
The Cork native could get another chance to go out in the January transfer window, with Alisson having returned to action for Liverpool.
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