Klopp: 'No intention' of losing Wembley wonder Caoimhín Kelleher

Corkman will be taken out of the limelight for the FA Cup fifth-round visit of Norwich on Wednesday after a gruelling 120 minutes against Chelsea
Klopp: 'No intention' of losing Wembley wonder Caoimhín Kelleher

Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher lifts the Carabao Cup following his penalty shootout heroics against Chelsea in the final at Wembley on Sunday. Picture: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp insists Wembley hero Caoimhín Kelleher won't be leaving Anfield.

The second-choice goalkeeper scored the decisive penalty on Sunday as Liverpool secured a record ninth League Cup after a goalless 120 minutes was resolved with a gripping 11-10 penalty shootout victory over Chelsea.

The Corkman will be taken out of the limelight for the FA Cup fifth-round visit of Norwich on Wednesday after a gruelling 120 minutes against Chelsea, with first-choice Alisson Becker coming in.

However, the longer-term plan is to keep hold of the 23-year-old Republic of Ireland international so he can continue to learn from his teammate.

“There’s absolutely no intention to sell him or something like that or give him a loan. Not at all,” added Klopp.

“We need a strong number two. Winning a trophy, will that help? You’ll have to ask Caoimh that.

“But he has a long-term contract here and we have a long-term plan with him, but of course we want to help the boy as well become the best version of himself.

“Maybe there is a year he will have to go on loan, I’m not sure it will be next year or maybe a year later.

“But you need the quality we have here and we get weaker if he wants to go somewhere.” 

Meanwhile, Klopp insists it is "crazy" to even think about winning an unprecedented quadruple.

Sunday's success means Liverpool already have one trophy in the bag but there remains a long way to go in the FA Cup, Champions League, and Premier League.

Norwich await at home in tonight's fifth-round cup tie, Inter Milan visit next week as they attempt to overturn a 2-0 last-16 Champions League deficit, while the gap to league leaders Manchester City is six points with a match in hand.

While the general chatter about winning all four trophies may be growing, Klopp is not even considering it.

"No team in the history of English football has won the quadruple, right? That is because it is incredibly difficult," said Klopp.

"We are still behind Manchester City (in the Premier League). We are not close to thinking about any crazy stuff like that.

"The only team who could get it is us because we won the first final but even City, with all the quality they have in the last years, couldn't win the quadruple.

"That says pretty much everything. It is really difficult and that is why nobody has to dampen any kind of excitement.

"The reality to win something is you have to be focused on the next step and not the one after that because if you do that you will struggle.

"We are close to nothing at the moment. It is better people think we can do good things than we are useless but it is not important or helpful.

"We just want to think about Norwich (in the FA Cup on Wednesday)."

The Wembley celebrations were relatively short-lived with another fixture so close and Klopp does not think there will be a problem refocusing for the FA Cup.

"The party was in the dressing room and then we were all in the bus and then waiting for Caoimhín (who was in doping control).

"Then we had loud music in the bus, no music in the plane, maybe some in the cars and then home at 12.30.

"Then you cannot sleep, or at least I can't, and we gave the boys the day off yesterday.

"I don't think it is a big problem, it is pretty rare you win something and then the whole decisive part of the season is only starting.

"I am confident we take the game very serious."

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