Andy Jones, Liverpool writer for The Athletic, has provided the lowdown on new Brentford goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher.

The Republic of Ireland international has signed a five-year deal at the Bees with a club option of a further year.

The worst-kept deal of the transfer window so far is now official! What do you make of Caoimhín Kelleher joining Brentford?

It is one that Liverpool fans have been waiting for.

Kelleher has made it very, very clear over a number of seasons, that he has got ambitions to be a no.1, but when you are behind Alisson Becker - who is, arguably, the best goalkeeper in the world, it is pretty difficult to usurp him and he has had to bide his time.

What has been really impressive about Kelleher, particularly in the last couple of years as he has matured and got more experience, is when Alisson does get injuries throughout the season.

During the season just gone, for example, he was out for a month or two and Kelleher came in. The best way to put it about him is that Liverpool fans were not concerned when Alisson was not there.

That is no disrespect to Alisson, it just shows how good Kelleher has been. He had moments in good competitions, like in the Carabao Cup finals that Liverpool have won, and has become a man for the big occasion as well.

He is consistent and, ultimately, he is a really, really good goalkeeper, but the writing has been on the wall, it is fair to say, since last summer, when Liverpool agreed a deal with Valencia for Giorgi Mamardashvili, who is 24 and looks like he is going to be the goalkeeper for the future.

When you see that, immediately, you think it is nearly time for Kelleher to move on. I think everyone has been of the opinion that 2024/25 was going to be his last season at Liverpool.

From an individual point of view, he contributed to a league title win, so he is leaving on a high as well, and leaving with the best wishes of everyone.

I think Liverpool fans’ only concern is that he might have a worldie when the two sides meet next season!

So would he likely have been third choice for Arne Slot going forward, had he stayed at Anfield?

It is difficult to know exactly, but you would think that is the way it would have gone, as it seems like Mamardashvili will be at Liverpool and there is not going to be a loan, like there technically was this season with the way the deal was agreed with Valencia.

It was a little bit unclear what the pecking order would be, and that is why it has almost not even been a point of debate about who would be second and third choice, because of the interest that has been there for a number of years from Brentford and from other clubs, as well as Kelleher's sort of point-blankedness in interviews of being very, very clear about his goals and his intentions, and him also only having one year left on his contract.

But you would assume, if Liverpool are buying a goalkeeper for nearly £30 million, he is going to come in and, given his age, be the next goalkeeper behind Alisson, playing in the cup games and stepping in when Alisson is out.

So yes, he would have dropped down the pecking order, but the expectation was that he was not going to be part of that pecking order anyway.

You said that he has made it clear that he wanted to be a no.1. He has played 46 games over the last two seasons, but has he ever shown frustration at the lack of opportunity?

Like with every player, there are general frustrations, but not in the sense of him disrupting things or anything like that. He is a really good pro, he is really well-liked in the dressing room and he is a really good presence around the training ground.

He knew the situation and he knew he was competing with one of the best goalkeepers in the world for the place. Arne Slot was very honest this season in saying Alisson is the no.1 and that is the hierarchy, whenever he was asked about Kelleher.

When Kelleher was playing, he was playing really well and there were a couple of questions from the media about whether he had done enough to retain his place. And he was very clear all the way through that Alisson, when fit, was the no.1, and that is how it was.

I think Kelleher was helped in the sense that Liverpool were able to go on good cup runs, and he was able to rely on the fact that Alisson does pick up a few injuries.

The number of games he has played over the last two years is a lot for a back-up goalkeeper and he was not just playing the cup games; when there was a heavily-rotated side, he was playing big Premier League games.

There was a lot of pressure on him, a lot of responsibility, because this was a Liverpool team trying to win the league over both seasons.

When he was in goal, he was part of the important runs they were putting together at key moments in the season, where Liverpool were able to put the wins on the board and build the points total.

He has described his frustrations in a number of interviews that he has done over a number of years, and it has been a badly-kept secret that this is a guy who wants to be a no.1.

But Liverpool have had a little bit more control in terms of where they want him to go and the fee, because they view him as one of the best second-choice goalkeepers in Europe, if not the best, and his performances have backed that up.

They have also not wanted to let him go because if he has been needed, he has always been reliable, and it is very rare that he makes mistakes.

So there have been frustrations, but they have never been a hindrance in any way, and you would not have sensed it because he has been excellent whenever he has come in.

In terms of attributes, what are his strengths?

He is really good with his feet, as you need to be at the top level these days, and he is really confident on the ball.

What has really come through, in recent seasons particularly, is his ability in one-on-one situations. Alisson is viewed by many as the best in the way he makes himself big, and you can see Kelleher has learned a lot from day-to-day training sessions.

When someone runs through one-on-one against Alisson, you are not 100 per cent sure they are going to score, and that is the way it has become with Kelleher. He has made a number of key saves in big moments for Liverpool, particularly in the cup finals.

He is, generally, a good shot-stopper and one of his hidden attributes you do not see that often is that he has won Liverpool four penalty shoot-outs as well - not just saving them, but scoring them as well, as he showed a few years ago with his penalty against Chelsea (in the 2022 Carabao Cup final).

He is continuing to grow in terms of command of his area and, with all goalkeepers, that improves with experience and age.

There was that error against Newcastle in the 3-3 draw this season just gone, but generally he is pretty confident and comfortable coming out, claiming crosses and reading the balls, coming into the box.

He is a really well-rounded goalkeeper who has just got better and better every time we have seen him and that is why, ultimately, it comes back to the fact he is more than ready to be a Premier League no.1.

I think he deserves the opportunity to be able to do it as well because his performances for Liverpool have warranted being able to start 50 games in a season and really showing exactly what he is all about.

Attitude is as important as ability in today’s game and he comes across as a level-headed character. Would you agree?

Definitely. You see it from the acceptance, in a way. He did not necessarily happily accept his role as a backup, but he did accept it.

There was no sulking if he was thrown in for a Carabao Cup game or did not play for a couple of months, he made sure he did his best, and that shows in his performances.

No matter how well he played, he knew, when Alisson was fit, he was going to be on the bench, and that is a difficult situation for a player to deal with because, regardless of how well you do, you know what is coming.

He was still 100 per cent committed, he was still making the big saves, having the big moments, keeping Liverpool in games, winning Liverpool games, winning Liverpool points and just being part of the team, and that is commendable.

It is important to have the right type of attitude and, in his situation, he has been able to really show that, particularly because it is not an easy situation for someone to deal with, given there has been interest there for a number of years and there have been offers and opportunities.

He has not been allowed to take them, but that has not ever reflected on the pitch at any point.

Do you think, with regular first-team football as a no.1, he can go to another level?

I think he can, yes. I am really intrigued to see how he does over a 38-game season, because he has not really experienced that for a long time, certainly not at this level.

I am really looking forward to seeing how he gets on. Ultimately, goalkeeping is about the shot-stopping and now playing out with your feet, but also it is about consistency and not making errors - and, if you do make an error, bouncing back and making sure you do not make another one for a long time.

He has had runs where he has played eight or nine games in a row and been really good and really consistent, but doing it over the course of a 38-game season is different and there is the pressure that comes with the fact he is the no.1 and all the expectations that come with it.

At Liverpool, he was the second-choice keeper and that is how he was seen, so he was not expected to be the no.1 and save everything, if you like, as there was an acceptance Alisson is first choice.

It will be interesting to see how he deals with it, but all the signs are positive in terms of his performances on the pitch at Liverpool.

He might be a little bit busier maybe, which I'm sure he'll probably enjoy.

Brentford are getting a really, really good goalkeeper at a really good age who is set to get better as he gets more game time and gets more consistent minutes on the pitch.