Caoimhin Kelleher believes the Carabao Cup offers a ‘really exciting’ opportunity for young players to prove their worth ahead of Liverpool’s trip to Norwich City on Tuesday night.
The Reds shot-stopper has been speaking with LiverpoolFC.com ahead of the Carrow Road clash, with Kelleher in line to start. Jurgen Klopp is yet to award the 22-year-old any game time in any competition so far this season.
Kelleher has featured on the bench in all five of Liverpool’s Premier League fixtures to date. He also watched the Anfield natives’ 3-2 Champions League Group Stage win over AC Milan as an unused substitute.
The Republic of Ireland international will now look to make his 10th career senior outing on Tuesday. Kelleher made his Liverpool first-team bow in the Carabao Cup in September 2019 against MK Dons. The competition now has a holds special place for the Cork-born ‘keeper.
“It’s a big competition for us [youngsters] as we know we’ll get opportunities and game time,” Kelleher said. “It’s everything for us if we’re involved, and we want to win and give 100% when we get the opportunity to show that we’re good enough and capable to play in more [first-team] games. We’re really looking forward to it.
“A Carabao Cup round-three game is probably, to the public, not the biggest of games. But to me, it was probably the biggest game of my life and a big moment for me. The competition for us players, and when you get the chance to play, is really exciting.”
Should Liverpool field Kelleher in Carabao Cup vs Norwich?
Of Kelleher’s nine first-team appearances for Liverpool to date, three have come in the EFL Cup. Each of those outings came during the 2019/20 campaign, before earning his first top-flight and Champions League minutes last season.
Kelleher left his initial impression on Klopp in the competition, and will look to enhance his reputation against Norwich. The Liverpool academy graduate is unlikely to be the only youngster that Klopp fields at Carrow Road on Tuesday, either.
Klopp trusting youth in Norfolk would support the £6k-a-week talent’s suggestion on the importance of the competition to them. With Liverpool giving Kelleher and co chances to present their case for further senior minutes in important fixtures this season.
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