IRELAND GOALKEEPER CAOIMHIN Kelleher was basking in the glow of success after his penalty proved the crucial one to land the silverware for Liverpool at Wembley today.
A remarkable penalty shootout stood at 10-10 after all the outfield players on both sides had found the net.
Then Kelleher converted his kick and their 11-10 shootout victory was confirmed when his Chelsea counterpart Kepa Arrizabalaga slammed his shot over the bar.
“It’s a mad one,” reflected Kelleher, speaking to Sky Sports just after the game.
“I thought I’d save one. I didn’t but I got close to a few. When it came down to me I didn’t even think I had scored the winning penalty, I didn’t realise I scored the winning one.
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“I think it was more hit and hope! I got close to a few, but all the penalties were very high quality. Thankfully we were able to win.”
Kelleher was aware of how memorable an occasion this was in his career when he was asked what Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp had said to him after the shootout.
“He just said well done for scoring the winning penalty. There’s a wall at Anfield with all the goalies who have won a cup, he said ‘Now is your chance to go on that’”.
Neither side managed to make a breakthrough in the over 120 minutes of action that had preceded the penalties, both teams having goals ruled out for offside.
Kelleher made some crucial saves in normal time, a particularly impressive stop arriving early in the game to deny Christian Pulisic.
The contribution of the Cork man was praised by Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.
“In professional football there should be space for sentiment.
“He is a young boy, we ask him to do a lot, he starts playing in the competition and then we get to the final and I tell him he cannot play?
“I am two things, a football manager and a human being and the human being won this time and it is so nice that it paid off. He deserves it.”
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Liverpool's penalty hero Kelleher: ‘I think it was more hit and hope!’
IRELAND GOALKEEPER CAOIMHIN Kelleher was basking in the glow of success after his penalty proved the crucial one to land the silverware for Liverpool at Wembley today.
A remarkable penalty shootout stood at 10-10 after all the outfield players on both sides had found the net.
Then Kelleher converted his kick and their 11-10 shootout victory was confirmed when his Chelsea counterpart Kepa Arrizabalaga slammed his shot over the bar.
“It’s a mad one,” reflected Kelleher, speaking to Sky Sports just after the game.
“I thought I’d save one. I didn’t but I got close to a few. When it came down to me I didn’t even think I had scored the winning penalty, I didn’t realise I scored the winning one.
“I think it was more hit and hope! I got close to a few, but all the penalties were very high quality. Thankfully we were able to win.”
Kelleher was aware of how memorable an occasion this was in his career when he was asked what Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp had said to him after the shootout.
“He just said well done for scoring the winning penalty. There’s a wall at Anfield with all the goalies who have won a cup, he said ‘Now is your chance to go on that’”.
Neither side managed to make a breakthrough in the over 120 minutes of action that had preceded the penalties, both teams having goals ruled out for offside.
Kelleher made some crucial saves in normal time, a particularly impressive stop arriving early in the game to deny Christian Pulisic.
The contribution of the Cork man was praised by Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.
“In professional football there should be space for sentiment.
“He is a young boy, we ask him to do a lot, he starts playing in the competition and then we get to the final and I tell him he cannot play?
“I am two things, a football manager and a human being and the human being won this time and it is so nice that it paid off. He deserves it.”
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