Former Liverpool goalkeeper Andy Lonergan thinks Caoimhin Kelleher needs to go out on loan to spread his wings.
During the 36-year-old's year long stint on Merseyside, he got to train on a regular basis with the young Corkman.
And while very impressed with Kelleher, with Alisson Becker and Adrian ahead of him in the pecking order, Lonergan thinks the 21-year-old will go in search of first-team football.
“He’s a brilliant keeper, he’s the new generation of goalkeeper,” Lonergan told the Liverpool Echo. “I’m the old generation but he’s so fast.
“He’s unbelievable, he’s like a central-midfielder with the ball at his feet but he can make saves and is brave. He’s got the lot.
“The only thing he is missing is games. John, Jack Robinson, me and Caoimhin all speak about it.
“He’s not got any experience but I know a lot of keepers with experience who aren’t as good as him. It’s a tough one for him. He needs to play games.
“I presume the plan for him is to go out on loan because no-one is getting past Ali!”
Having spent nearly all of his career in the Championship, Lonergan answered a cover call from the Reds after Allison suffered an injury at the start of the season.
He thinks Kelleher, who started four matches in cup competitions across the campaign, is learning from the best in the world.
“It’s been brilliant, it’s a wicked (goalkeeping) group,” he said. “We’ve not had everyone fit all season, it’s only recently we’ve had all four goalkeepers first team goalkeepers training together.
“It’s been brilliant (training with them), it’s the best group I’ve been part of. Obviously talent-wise but as guys as well.
“It’s common for people to say, 'The goalie had nothing to do,' but Alisson makes it that way. The way he controls his defence.
“The hardest thing for a goalkeeper is having nothing to do because your lesser goalkeepers will start looking for stuff, coming out for balls aren’t theirs, trying to make an impact on the game.
“But Ali is flawless. He is by far the best goalkeeper in the world and I won’t have anyone ever tell me any differently.”
