Leaving the club that brought you through its academy and gave you your first break in senior football is never an easy decision, let alone when you've played a part in delivering multiple trophies.
But former Liverpool goalkeeper Caiomhin Kelleher admits that his decision was made very straightforward for him in the end when he opted to join Brentford this summer.
The arrival of Giorgi Mamardashvili threatened to push Kelleher down to third choice, prompting him to take up a big-money move when the London side came knocking.
Caoimhin Kelleher: Noise around Liverpool exit worse than playing back-up
Kelleher made 67 appearances in all competitions for Liverpool from 2019 to 2025, and particularly impressed when given the opportunity in cup and continental competition.
His good record in penalty shootouts proved particularly useful for Liverpool in those competitions, with Kelleher helping Liverpool to the FA Cup in 2022 and the League Cup in 2022 and and 2024 - but he managed just 25 league appearances, usually when first choice Alisson was ruled out injured.
Speaking on Fozcast, Kelleher said of his decision to depart Anfield: “It was a big decision, to be fair, but the timing was right for me as well.
"I was there 10 years – started when I was 16 at the Academy, and then all the way through, [then] probably about five years with the first team.
"But I never had any loans or anything like that. So, all my playing experience was Liverpool, mostly as the number two.
“It was hard leaving, because I’ve got good friendships there and good people are there. But in terms of football, it was probably an easy decision, to be honest.
Kelleher's performances when deputising for Alisson led to a slew of pundits saying that if he wasn't going to get the gloves off the Brazilian, then he should look elsewhere for his football.
The Republic of Ireland international admits that kind of chatter was actually worse than sitting on the bench whenever Alisson was fit and available.
Asked if he was aware of the noise around him at that time, Kelleher replied: “A little bit. When you come in and you play well, that’s exactly what people say straight away.
"But the frustration for me was that people think it’s just straightforward – that I can just leave. As if I play well and then I just go into Liverpool and say, ‘Right, I’m going. Let me go'. It doesn’t work like that.
“That was more the frustration. Of course, I want to be playing every week – that’s just not the way it was.
"Being a number two is hard; you get a few games, and you must do well. But it worked out well for me in the end at Liverpool.”
Kelleher has been ever-present in the Premier League for Brentford this season, starting all 14 games and keeping two clean sheets.
He still has a chance to help Ireland to reach their first World Cup since their tumultuous 2002 campaign, with his country facing a March play-off semi-final against the Czech Republic and potentially a final against Denmark or North Macedonia.
