Jamie Carragher was critical of Jurgen Klopp's decision to start Caoimhin Kelleher in the Carabao Cup final, but the former Liverpool captain admitted after the game he was wrong to doubt the manager.
Irish international Kelleher scored the winning penalty for the Reds as they beat Chelsea on spot-kicks after a goalless draw at Wembley, with opposite number Kepa Arrizabalaga blazing over to hand the Reds victory.
The 23-year-old had made a number of saves across 120 minutes of football, keeping Klopp's side in the tie as both they and their opponents had goals disallowed for offside.
Carragher had been unconvinced of Kelleher's ability to do the business at Wembley, at least when first-choice goalkeeper Alisson was the alternative, but the pundit was made to eat his words.
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"The shootout, some of the penalties were absolutely out of this world and it fell to the goalkeeper," Carragher said while covering the game for Sky Sports.
"I was the idiot before the game who questioned Jurgen Klopp slightly in terms of playing Kelleher. He’s now the hero.
"When you’re getting late on in the game, who’s going to be the hero? That man is the hero. To take the last penalty to then win the cup - - I mean, as I said, Chelsea played really well, Liverpool played really well. Two brilliant teams and someone’s unfortunately got to lose."
Kelleher, who has been on Liverpool's books since he was a teenager, has only played a handful of senior games in his career.
He was also between the sticks for Klopp's side in their 2-2 Premier League draw with Chelsea earlier in the season, as well as the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final against Arsenal.
Back in January, he was the Liverpool hero when he saved two Leicester City penalties in the quarter-final shoot-out.
Neither keeper made a save in the shoot-out at Wembley, with all 20 outfield players finding the net, but Kelleher beat Kepa from the spot before the Spaniard missed the target with his kick.
Klopp had said after the semi-final that the Reds would keep faith in Kelleher at Wembley after the youngster played his part throughout the run.
“We consider Caoimhin as an outstanding goalie. Not a good goalie, an outstanding goalie, and we want to keep him here," the manager said..
“And to keep him here you need to make sure of a few things. Before a season you need to think and talk about about the different games he will get.
“It is all about performing of course. If he didn’t perform on the level he performed when he played then I would maybe think differently.
“But he has shown he deserves all the trust and faith that we have in him. So that is the situation.”
