Caoimhin Kelleher has given an insight into what it’s like to play as a goalkeeper behind Virgil van Dijk.
The 25-year-old is currently deputising for Alisson Becker between the posts for Liverpool while the Brazilian continues to recover from a hamstring injury, and he’s spoken highly of having a natural born leader in the Reds’ number four ahead of him on the pitch.
Speaking to liverpoolfc.com, the Republic of Ireland stopper said of the club captain: “He is brilliant [as a leader], he always has been, even when he wasn’t captain. He talks you through the game, he is always positive and trying to help you, so he’s great to have there.”
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Although Kelleher is no longer a fledgling youth at 25, the sporadic nature of his game-time can make it more difficult to develop an on-field chemistry with his Liverpool teammates.
That’s why he’s bound to appreciate having a vocal leader like Van Dijk to talk him through a match and organise the defence in front of him, particularly from set-piece situations.
Shortly before the 32-year-old was permanently handed the captaincy in the wake of Jordan Henderson’s move to Saudi Arabia, it was observed that he was especially audible during the behind-closed-doors friendly against Greuther Furth in July.
The midfielder’s summer exit, along with that of James Milner, threatened to create a leadership void within the Liverpool squad, but it’s quickly become clear that the Netherlands defender has seamlessly stepped in to fill the breach.
A presence like Van Dijk’s is just what the Reds need at the back, and not just for what he offers in terms of his gameplay. It’s evident from Kelleher’s comments that the current Anfield skipper is someone who leads by example.