Caoimhin Kelleher: Data company places him among best in Premier League

Coaimhin Kelleher compares favourably to the best in the Premier League, according to one data company. Liverpool have another genuine gem.

Data company DataMB put out a Tweet on Wednesday that compared Caohimin Kelleher to others in the Premier League. The Irishman has found himself thrust into the spotlight this season after an injury to Alisson Becker.

Kelleher has now started eight Premier League games for Liverpool and 23 in all competitions. It's become the biggest season of his career as a result - one that has allowed him to be compared to the other starting goalkeepers in England.

After all, Kelleher is just shy of having played 10 full Premier League games, nearly a quarter of the season. That provides enough data to truly judge the Irishman - and he compares incredibly well.

As DataMB point out, Kelleher ranks 1st in the top flight for passes completed per 90, percentage of accurate passes into the final third, and for accurate passes in general.

He's also third for 'prevented goals per 90'. That's a stat that takes the post-shot xG figure of any attempt on goal and takes away the number of actual goals. So if you can say a goalkeeper should have conceded far more than he actually has, then he's prevented those goals.

Yes, it's a little convoluted but it's supposed to show how Kelleher has been a fantastic shot-stopper since starting this run in the Liverpool side. And it's something that certainly passes the eye test.

Caoimhin Kelleher - what next?

The big question facing Kelleher now is what does he want his future to look like? As good as he's been, there's little question that Alisson will be back in the XI once he's fit and the Irishman will be back to the bench.

But he's showing this season that he is more than good enough to play regularly for a good team. For a team contending for trophies, even.

Really, there are two options - stay and compete with Alisson, waiting for a chance to usurp him as Liverpool's no.1, or pushing for a move to another club on the back of his reputation-growing spell.

We said this would be a career-defining month for Kelleher and it's certainly shaping up that way. It's going to become a career-defining decision.