Caoimhin Kelleher Hits Out at Liverpool’s Critics as Ex-Reds Goalkeeper Claims Diogo Jota Tragedy Has Made Season ‘Very Difficult’

Former Liverpool keeper says football results matter less after Diogo Jota tragedy as Reds face testing campaign on and off the pitch

For Caoimhin Kelleher, this season has always felt different. Not because of league positions, tactical debates or the usual noise that surrounds a club like Liverpool, but because of something far deeper and far more human.

The former Reds goalkeeper has spoken with rare honesty about Liverpool’s 2025-26 campaign, defending his old club against mounting criticism and insisting that football has, at times, felt secondary following the tragic passing of Diogo Jota. From Kelleher’s perspective, judging performances without understanding the emotional toll carried inside the dressing room misses the bigger picture entirely.

Now settled at Brentford after a decade at Anfield, Kelleher has been watching from a distance — close enough to feel the pain, but far enough to recognise just how heavy a burden his former team-mates have been carrying.

A season shaped by loss, not just results

Liverpool entered the 2025-26 season as defending Premier League champions under Arne Slot, having stormed to the title in dominant fashion the previous year. Expectations were understandably high. Anything short of another title challenge was always going to be scrutinised.

But this season has unfolded under circumstances that go far beyond football.

The death of Diogo Jota in July 2025, while travelling back to the UK for pre-season, sent shockwaves through Liverpool Football Club and the wider football world. Jota was more than a key attacking player — he was a beloved teammate, a dressing-room presence, and a fan favourite.

For those inside the club, the grief did not fade once the season kicked off.

“Injuries, results, pressure — they all matter,” Kelleher explained in an interview with The Independent. “But there are things people probably aren’t taking into account too much.”

From his viewpoint, Liverpool’s struggles cannot be separated from the emotional weight they have carried since the summer.

‘This season isn’t important from a football aspect’

Diogo Jota Liverpool

Kelleher’s most striking comment was also his most revealing. In a sport obsessed with outcomes, tables and trophies, he suggested that Liverpool’s current campaign should not be judged purely on football terms.

“I find it a bit strange and a bit difficult when I hear people speaking about the players at Liverpool and the performances,” he said. “Because I don’t think this season is even important from a football aspect for them, to be honest. It’s more about them personally and mentally.”

It is a statement that cuts against the grain of modern football discourse, but one rooted in lived experience. Kelleher was close to Jota, as were many within the squad. Grief, he suggests, does not operate on a schedule that fits neatly between matchdays.

“People expect you to move on quite quickly,” he added. “And I don’t think that’s the case.”

Why Liverpool deserve some slack from critics

Liverpool’s campaign has been turbulent. Injuries have disrupted rhythm, Mohamed Salah’s public outburst earlier in the season created unwanted headlines, and performances have lacked the ruthless edge of the title-winning year.

From the outside, it has looked like a fall from grace.

From Kelleher’s perspective, it has looked like a group of people trying to function under extraordinary emotional strain.

“I stay in touch with some of the guys there. I have a lot of good friends there,” he said. “It’s a very difficult time for them, a difficult season.”

Kelleher admits that being away from Anfield has made it slightly easier for him personally.

“It’s probably been a bit easier for me, being away from it, and not being in such close proximity to it every day,” he reflected.

That distance, however, has also given him clarity. He believes the criticism directed at Liverpool players often lacks empathy — focusing on performances while ignoring the human reality behind them.

A respectful exit and a necessary move to Brentford

Kelleher’s comments come in the context of his own major career change. After 10 years at Liverpool, the Republic of Ireland international left Anfield in search of regular first-team football, joining Brentford for £12.5 million.

It was a move driven by ambition rather than dissatisfaction.

“From an individual aspect, for me to leave and play first-team football was obviously right,” he explained.

Stuck behind Alisson Becker in the pecking order, Kelleher knew his chances at Liverpool were limited. Brentford, with their clear structure and long-term planning, offered exactly what he needed.

“Brentford is the sort of club that’s always prepared, and always looking to the next steps,” he said.

The transition has been seamless. Kelleher has been an ever-present in the Premier League, playing a key role as the Bees push toward European qualification.

Developing as a modern goalkeeper

At 27, Kelleher is entering what many consider the prime years for a goalkeeper. Regular football has allowed him to refine areas of his game that previously had to be developed in training alone.

“I’m just trying to be an all-round good goalkeeper,” he explained. “Working on all aspects.”

One area he highlighted in particular was set-pieces — a phase of play that has evolved dramatically in recent years.

“Teams have obviously really improved in set-piece areas,” he said. “You train trying to recreate some of the chaos you face.”

Modern attacking systems, he noted, are increasingly designed to disrupt goalkeepers through blocking, contact and movement.

“On a lot of set-pieces, you don’t even have a chance to catch it,” Kelleher admitted. “You’re just trying to get the ball away.”

It is a challenge he embraces, seeing it as part of the constant evolution of the game.

Watching Liverpool from afar, but never detached

Despite his move to west London, Kelleher remains emotionally connected to Liverpool. His defence of the club is not performative — it comes from shared history, shared friendships and shared grief.

He understands the expectations placed on elite clubs. He understands criticism is part of football. But he believes there are moments when perspective is needed.

“Football is a massive sport and people have an opinion, which is natural,” he said. “But sometimes there’s more going on than what you see on the pitch.”

For Liverpool, this season has been as much about coping as competing.

World Cup dreams with Ireland still alive

Caoimhin Kelleher Republic of Ireland

While reflecting on Liverpool’s struggles, Kelleher is also focused firmly on the future. His strong form for Brentford has boosted his confidence heading into a crucial period with the Republic of Ireland.

Ireland face a 2026 World Cup qualification play-off against Czechia on March 26, with a potential final clash against Denmark or North Macedonia standing between them and a first appearance at the tournament since 2002.

Kelleher knows what is at stake.

“It would be massive,” he has said previously. “For the country, for the group, for everyone involved.”

Qualification would also see him share the world stage with many of his former Liverpool teammates — a prospect that carries emotional weight after the difficult year the club has endured.

More than football

Caoimhin Kelleher’s words serve as a reminder that footballers do not operate in isolation from real life. Tactics, results and league tables matter — but they are not the whole story.

For Liverpool, the 2025-26 season has been shaped by loss, grief and the challenge of moving forward without someone who meant so much to the club.

From the outside, it may look like underperformance. From the inside, it has been survival.

And from Kelleher’s point of view, that context matters just as much as anything that happens between the white lines.