DARTS fan Caoimhín Kelleher saw Liverpool block him from making a checkout in the last two transfer windows.
He reckons it worked out for the best but is still ready to take flight if new boss Arne Slot cannot offer him the prospect of regular first-team football.
Former Ireland manager Stephen Kenny revealed last summer that Kelleher was ready to move on having been unable to displace Alisson.
But that did not come to pass, with Liverpool also rejecting overtures from Nottingham Forest in January — which came as no surprise to the Cork man.
Kelleher, 25, said: “I came off the back of last season and I’d only played a handful of games.
“As a football player, my intention was to try and get out and play some games.
“I love playing for Ireland, a big ambition of mine is to be the No 1 here. Obviously that only comes hand in hand when I’m No 1 at the club as well.
“The club and the manager saw it differently and I ended up staying, which has worked out for the best to be fair. In January especially, they obviously need to be in a position to have a replacement ready for me as well and January is such a busy time.
“Bids were coming in maybe in the last few days of the transfer window.
“But me, myself, I knew nothing was going to come of that.”
And staying proved to be of considerable benefit for Kelleher who clocked up 26 appearances — ten of them in the Premier League— which was more than the previous four years combined.
He believes that makes him a more attractive prospect for would-be suitors who have now seen him perform at a high level on a regular basis.
He said: “I think it’s a good moment for myself coming off the back of the season where I’ve played the most games I ever have. My confidence is very high and I think clubs will have been looking as well and seen me play so there’ll hopefully be some interest elsewhere.
“It’s given me a lot of confidence and I think that time is right now.
“I don’t think there was any internal doubt from myself. I think anyone at Liverpool would be the same, it was more me getting the opportunity.
“I was always waiting for that opportunity to get a run of games and that was the main objective, to prove to everyone else I was good enough.
“If you don’t play the game, or know much about the game, looking in you might see one game and you’re not having a great game and then you’re not playing again for two months.
“It’s very difficult, especially in the goalkeeping position where a lot of it is relying on decisions and game sharpness, so yeah, it was nice to get that run of games and show the level I can play if I’m playing week in, week out. I always believed in myself but it was about showing to everyone else that I’m capable of playing at this level.”
CRUNCH TALKS
Although he might sound like a man about to exit a revolving door, Kelleher did confirm he would speak with Slot before confirming his future plans.
He added: “You need to speak to the new manager and the new people at the club who are coming in. Conversations have to be had with them first before anything else happens.”
And he will consult with others around him as well, including brother Fiacre, a midfielder at Colchester United, before any final decision.
He said: “I’ve a lot of family. My brother’s in a similar position and my partner is a big help for me. She’s a really intelligent person so I can always talk to her.
“Goalie coaches at the club have been a big help and team-mates at the club that I’ve known for a number of years. There are a lot of people I can lean on and get their opinion.
“I don’t know what’s happening yet with Liverpool but I’m open to all options. If I do move, everything has to be right for myself, it has to be the right club, the right thing for myself.
“That could be in England, it could be abroad. To make the right decision it has to be a good fit for myself most importantly.”
But he said Jurgen Klopp— freed from the constraints of thinking only about Liverpool’s best interests— had not offered him any advice on what he should do next.
Kelleher added: “He had some nice words for me. I was with him for a number of years and he said, ‘You became a brilliant goalkeeper in that time’.
“He is going to follow my career wherever I go. He wants me to see me playing and to be happy.”
With Mark Travers likely to get some minutes, Kelleher is unlikely to get 180 against Hungary and Portugal.
But after going to watch teen sensation Luke Littler earlier this year, he is still aiming for that finish from the oche.
He said: “I love darts. My highest checkout? I think it was 120. It could be better. I’ll get it at some point.”