Liverpool player claims that he wants to do exactly what Caoimhin Kelleher did at Anfield

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Caoimhin Kelleher set the standard for how a backup goalkeeper should act when he was a Liverpool player.

Even though Alisson was the first choice, whenever Arne Slot needed to call upon him, he was always there and ready to perform.

The Irishman was the king of the domestic cups for Liverpool with his penalty-saving among the best in the Premier League.

However, in the summer, Kelleher decided that the best thing for him would be to exit Anfield and join Brentford.

Since then, he’s thrived under Keith Andrews, with one Liverpool ‘keeper now saying he wants to follow in Kelleher’s footsteps amid rumours that he could start against Crystal Palace.

Freddie Woodman wants to follow in Caoimhin Kelleher’s footsteps at Liverpool

Freddie Woodman was a surprise signing from Liverpool in the summer transfer window.

The Reds’ goalkeeping department had a massive shake-up over the summer, and now, the 28-year-old is Liverpool’s third choice.

However, since Alisson has been out injured for a few weeks, he’s been second in command after Giorgi Mamardashvili.

And, even though nobody expected the former Preston man to play a game for the Anfield outfit, rumours have started to emerge about Woodman potentially starting against Palace on Wednesday evening.

The Reds’ fans have never likely seen the goalkeeper in action outside of friendly games, but now, while speaking to Liverpool’s official website, it seems like he wants to follow in Kelleher’s footsteps and leave his mark on Anfield.

“Any time I get to pull on the jersey for this club, whether it be a pre-season game or whatever competition, I’ll always just try to do my best and enjoy the moment, because I’ve spent a lot of time playing in the Championship, and so to play for a club with this history is pretty special,” he said.

“It’s clear that this club takes the competition seriously, like it does every competition. When you get to the latter stages, you go to Wembley and you see how important it is to the fans.

“We train in the goalkeeping area at the AXA Training Centre, and I regularly see the photo of Caoimhin Kelleher on the wall after his success in the recent finals, and that’s how important it is.

“You can really write yourself into history if you win trophies at this club, so I know how important it is, and the club recognises how important this competition is too.”

Liverpool need to get out of their rut and beat Crystal Palace on Wednesday

Although Liverpool’s start to the 2025-26 season was impressive, the last month or so has been rather painful.

The fact that the Reds have even been beaten by Manchester United shows how dire things have gotten.

Indeed, Liverpool did put in a good performance against Eintracht Frankfurt when they beat the Bundesliga outfit 5-1, but aside from that outing, the Reds have had no vision or clear way of playing.

However, if they can beat Palace in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday evening, it could set them on the path towards getting back to their best.

If Woodman is the man in between the sticks, a lot of pressure will be riding on his shoulders, especially when the recent form of Ibrahima Konate is taken into account.

Indeed, Slot’s first-team squad is likely to be chopped and changed, but even with this in mind, the Reds should still be able to beat Oliver Glasner’s men with the amount of quality they have.