Former Premier League star offers transfer advice to Liverpool youngster

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Former Premier League goalkeeper Shay Given has made it clear that he thinks Liverpool youngster Caoimhin Kelleher needs to be playing more regular first-team football.

The 23-year-old shot-stopper has had to make do with a backup role at Anfield, but Given thinks that it’s now important for him to get a loan move before coming back to Liverpool to challenge Alisson for the number one spot.

Kelleher certainly looks like a big talent who could be a future starter for Jurgen Klopp’s side, though it won’t be easy for him to get past a world class player like Alisson any time soon.

Given’s advice to his fellow Irishman is to try playing elsewhere for the time being, and it seems like it would be a good idea for both the player and the club.

“He’s in a bit of a predicament Kelleher,” Given told Premier Sports, as quoted by the Liverpool Echo.

“He’s 23 years old, I’m trying to bring myself back to when I was that age and I’m not sure how many games I would have played, but I think he has only played ten or 11 games.

“He’s not a kid anymore, 23 is an age where I think he should be playing regular first team football.

“The biggest problem he has is that Alisson is ahead of him. Alisson is in the prime of his life and could be for the next five or six years. Does Kelleher sit there and be happy as a number two? They’ve got Adrian who can sit on the bench and back [Alisson] up.

“For me, it’s so important to play games. He has been training there for a few years and signed a new five-year contract last summer, so he is part of the club’s long-term future.

“Even from a Liverpool point of view, they need to get him out playing, get him that experience, then bring him back and get him challenging Alisson.”

One imagines there’d be a few Premier League clubs who’d take Kelleher on loan, so it will be interesting to see if LFC explore that any time soon.

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