Virgil van Dijk came into bat for Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final against Chelsea at Wembley but believes one of his team-mates is more deserving of the Man of the Match gong. Ta
Virgil van Dijk has insisted that “world-class” Caoich Kelleher should have been named Man of the Match instead at Wembley.
The Dutch defender put in a great performance against Chelsea on Sunday afternoon. He scored the all-important winning goal, although it was denied by VAR early in the match.
Despite Van Dijk’s performance, he thought Kelleher deserved more praise. The Reds’ number two goalkeeper played a vital role, making a total of nine saves in 120 minutes to keep Chelsea at bay.
After being named Man of the Match, alongside Kelleher, the Liverpool captain said: I think I’m probably one of his biggest fans.
“I’ve always said he’s world-class, but he stepped up again today. It’s good to see. He’s a good kid, a good goalkeeper and that’s what we deserve at a club like Liverpool. is what is needed.”
Van Dijk was not the only player to praise Kelleher following Liverpool’s Carabao Cup success. Outgoing manager Jurgen Klopp also praised him after the final whistle.
He said: “Caoimh was unbelievable. It was a very mature performance. As I often say, we have the best goalkeeper in the world and the best number two in the world. I’m very happy for him. I think it’s a great match.”
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Kelleher’s outstanding performance followed up on his vital penalty save against fellow opponents Chelsea two seasons ago and saw him emerge as a new star in the Carabao Cup. He suggested this win was a little more special than the Reds’ 2022 success.
he said: “This is another great moment for me, so yeah, I’m very happy. It’s hard to summarize really. It’s hard to put into words because it’s a dreamlike moment to celebrate with the fans at Wembley and win the trophy. is
“Yeah, probably [this year is more special]. It’s good for your heart anyway, there’s no penalty. Although we won’t be able to move on, winning this first trophy was a great start that will give us momentum for the rest of the season.
“We have players that we want back, but the young players have been great as well, so we’re in a good position at the moment, so we’ll just keep it up. I won’t talk about it right away, but… Obviously winning the first trophy is the first step, so I hope we can win a few more.”
With Alisson Becker still limited to the sidelines, Kelleher will look to earn more minutes in the coming weeks. The Reds face Championship side Southampton in the FA Cup fifth round on Wednesday, before taking on Nottingham Forest in the Premier League next weekend.
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