Shane Long says Liverpool star & former teammate ‘has got a tough decision to make in the summer’

Shane Long says Liverpool star & former teammate ‘has got a tough decision to make in the summer’

• [On Caoimhin Kelleher] “He’s got a tough decision to make in the summer, in my opinion. As I said, Jurgen Klopp has put a lot of trust in him, but with Klopp leaving Liverpool at the end of the season, you wonder what kind of position that puts Caoimhin in.”
• “I’m sure plenty of teams have seen his qualities this year and will be interested. He’s also got huge players around him, like Virgil van Dijk, who clearly trust him completely, which tells you just how good a goalkeeper he is.”
• [On scoring the quickest goal in Premier League history] “The best thing for me was that it was a good finish against Ben Foster, so it meant I got the bragging rights there! Even when it was going in, he was shouting “Longy, what a finish!” It’s one of the few goals he conceded which wasn’t his fault!”
• “The goal itself came from me putting the defender under pressure and blocking the ball. I’d done my research before the game as well, and I know Ben goes to ground when he comes out, so I knew the lob was the best finish.”
• [On Ben Foster] “He had a strike of a ball that I’ve never seen before; I used to stand 20 yards offside off his goal kicks and he’d just ping them over the top to me and I’d be in on goal. He’s a great guy to have in the dressing room and has the kind of career that any aspiring goalkeeper would love to have.”

Kelleher has got a tough decision to make this summer…plenty of teams will be interested

Caoimhin is exceptional; I think he’s brilliant. He’s really level-headed, as well; nothing goes to his head. He’s so calm, and you can see how much Jurgen Klopp trusts him, which speaks volumes. You can see he’s got a bright future ahead in the game.

He’s got a tough decision to make in the summer, in my opinion. As I said, Jurgen Klopp has put a lot of trust in him, but with Klopp leaving Liverpool at the end of the season, you wonder what kind of position that puts Caoimhin in. He’s played a lot more this season than he has in previous seasons; he’s been put in the spotlight which has allowed teams to see his qualities, and I’m sure plenty of sides will come knocking and asking the question.

A lot will probably depend on the new manager coming in, and where he sees Kelleher fitting into his plans. If he has the same philosophy as Klopp, whereby he changes his goalkeeper for the cup games… it’s going to be so tough to get Alisson out of that position, so I suppose a lot will depend on what other options are on the table for him in the summer.

I can only say from personal experience, though, that he’s a top goalkeeper, and wherever he is, he’ll keep clean sheets and keep ripping it up.

He’s a Premier League goalkeeper, for sure. It’s hard to say where, though, because there’s just so much change between clubs when one goalkeeper moves on. It would be a slight risk for a team to take, because he’s relatively inexperienced, so it’s a big call to bring him in and give him the number one shirt. But I’m sure plenty of teams have seen his qualities this year and will be interested. He’s also got huge players around him, like Virgil van Dijk, who clearly trust him completely, which tells you just how good a goalkeeper he is.

Ben Foster said this to me WHILE I set new Premier League record against him…

My Premier League record gets mentioned every single season now so of course I know how fast the goal was to the millisecond: 7.69 seconds, it was. I was awarded with something from Southampton just to recognise the feat… it’s mad because at the time I didn’t really think much of it; obviously it’s a nice record to have, but we drew the game 1-1, and so I was raging about that!

When I came in after the game, the media obviously went crazy for it and Twitter was blowing up… the best thing for me was that it was a good finish against Ben Foster, so it meant I got the bragging rights there! Even when it was going in, he was shouting “Longy, what a finish!” It’s one of the few goals he conceded which wasn’t his fault!

Ben’s a brilliant character; a really, really lovely guy, and the fact he was complimenting me on my finish as the ball was going past him tells you everything you need to know about the kind of guy he is.

I don’t think you can set out to get that record; it’s just something which happens, and it involves a little bit of luck and quality. It’s a nice one to have on the resume… random, but nice!

For someone to break it now, you’d have to think it would come straight from kick-off, someone having a shot or something like that. Obviously I’d be devastated if the record was beaten, but I’m not going to be checking the results every week to see if it still stands! As I said, it’s not something you can really set out to try and break, as a player. It’ll take some beating, but whoever does – if they do – will have earned it, that’s for sure!

The goal itself came from me putting the defender under pressure and blocking the ball. I’d done my research before the game as well, and I know Ben goes to ground when he comes out, so I knew the lob was the best finish.

It’s something I’ve done in every game in my career; hunting down the centre-back from kick-off. It could’ve bounced off me and gone out for a throw-in, or anything, but I suppose when you keep at it, you deserve the luck when it comes your way.

Get me on The Fozcast!

Ben [Foster] is a great guy – one of the best you could ever meet in football, really. He was an unbelievable goalkeeper, too. He struggled with his knees during his playing career but I know that getting into cycling really helped him with that; it put strength back into his legs and took all the pressure off his knees, and he excelled on the pitch because of that.

He had a strike of a ball that I’ve never seen before; I used to stand 20 yards offside off his goal kicks and he’d just ping them over the top to me and I’d be in on goal. He’s a great guy to have in the dressing room and has the kind of career that any aspiring goalkeeper would love to have.

I hope everything goes well for him on the media side because he’s just a lovely guy… of course I’d be up for going on his podcast – I’d have to try and remember some stories though!