Caoimhín Kelleher grew up in Cork and joined Liverpool’s academy from Ringmahon Rangers. For several seasons he was Alisson’s back-up, but he became known for his performances in cup competitions, including the 2022 League Cup final, which Liverpool won on penalties against Chelsea after he had played every round.
He also started Liverpool’s 2024 League Cup final win over Chelsea and stood in for long periods when Alisson was injured.
In 2025 he joined Brentford in search of regular first-team football and became their first-choice goalkeeper. Kelleher is the Republic of Ireland’s number one.
Playing style
Kelleher is an agile, reliable goalkeeper with excellent reflexes and a calm temperament. He is a strong shot-stopper and comfortable with the ball at his feet, qualities that allowed him to fill in for Alisson without Liverpool losing their style of play. His performances in cup competitions, including two League Cup final wins, earned him a reputation as one of the best back-up goalkeepers in Europe, and his move to Brentford gave him the chance to prove himself as a regular starter.
International career
Kelleher has become the Republic of Ireland’s first-choice goalkeeper and one of the senior figures in the national team.
Career in numbers
Across 8 seasons of senior club football, beginning in 2019/20, Kelleher has played 110 matches for 2 clubs. His busiest campaign was 2025/26, when he played 38 matches for Brentford. So far in 2026/27 he has made 5 appearances for Brentford. The full season-by-season record is in the Stats section of this profile.