Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher has revealed that his Reds team-mates and coaches advised him to try and be the hero before the penalty shootout against Arsenal in the EFL Cup.
Premier League rivals Liverpool and Arsenal played out an entertaining goal-filled game in the EFL round of 16 at Anfield on Wednesday night, with the match going into penalties after the scoreline read 5-5 at the end of 90 minutes.
Conceding five goals on his first start at Anfield is something 20-year-old Kelleher would not have wished for, but the Irishman had a chance for redemption as the game went into the shootout, where his sole focus was on saving Arsenal players' spot-kicks.
As Kelleher prepared for the shootout on his Anfield debut, a few of his team-mates and the coaches came to his side and advised him to try to be the hero as he had nothing to lose, the goalkeeper revealed after the game.
While the young Irishman did exactly that as he saved Dani Ceballos's spot-kick that ultimately won the tie for the Reds, he is yet to get his head around it.
“As soon as the final whistle went, all the focus was on trying to save in the shootout”, the goalkeeper told Liverpool's site post-match.
“Some of the lads and the coaches said to me, ‘You’ve nothing to lose, just try to be the hero.’ And luckily I did it in the end.
“It was a bit of a whirlwind. I’m obviously happy but it’s just hard to sum it up at the moment.
"It has all gone by quite quickly. It’s just unreal, to be honest.”
Liverpool assistant manager Pep Lijnders stated ahead of the Arsenal game that the EFL Cup belongs to Kelleher, hinting that the youngster will be starting in all of the Reds' matches in the tournament.
