Jurgen Klopp feels Caoimhin Kelleher decision has been vindicated

Jurgen Klopp believes Caoimhin Kelleher must be 'pretty happy' with his decision to stay at Liverpool last summer. The Irishman is getting an opportunity.

Caoimhin Kelleher is set to play the next few weeks for Liverpool, having already been between the sticks for the Reds' last four games. Alisson Becker is now out of action relatively long-term, with what Jurgen Klopp called a pretty 'serious' problem.

And that provides more games for Kelleher as, effectively, Liverpool's no.1 goalkeeper. The Irishman has already kept goal for the team in 17 fixtures over this season but mostly in the cups.

Still, there have been five Premier League games in there with more to come. Kelleher was also in goal for the Carabao Cup final, where he put in an incredible performance and really could (arguably should) have won Man of the Match.

But with the pressure is actually increasing. Liverpool play Nottingham Forest later today and then it's back to the Europa League in midweek before what will likely be the biggest game of the season - at home to Manchester City.

Kelleher will now play that game, as well as the FA Cup clash against Manchester United a week later. It could be a career-defining period for the 25-year-old.

And it all leaves Jurgen Klopp thinking Kelleher is likely 'pretty happy' with his decision in the summer to remain at Liverpool at fight for his opportunities.

"An outfield player in a situation like Caoimhin would never come and ask and talk about these sorts of perspectives because they have 10 other positions," said Klopp. "With a goalkeeper it is slightly different, but it never reached a point where we had a discussion whereby it was, 'You have to stay, shut up'. It was just the normal discussion about his future.

"The most important thing was [that] we had to help him on the next step in his development by playing more games. I saw it the same way as what the player would say.

"He has played a lot of games now, in the Europa League, the League Cup and quite a few league games as well. You would have to ask him exactly what he thought, but I think now he would be pretty happy with the decision he made in the summer."

You've got to imagine Klopp is right here. Will it be the same this summer, though? Kelleher has a chance now to boost his reputation enormously in some of the biggest games Liverpool can play.

If he covers himself in glory, he'll face an even bigger decision in the summer of 2024.