Alisson Becker made his long-awaited return to Liverpool action but such has our form been in recent weeks, that it possibly came with the least fanfare we’ve seen for his prior injury comebacks.
Normally when our No.1 is back in net it’s headline news but Caoimhin Kelleher has enabled us all to feel relaxed when the best stopper in the world is missing.
Speaking about the Brazilian, Arne Slot said: “I said a bit of a joke that maybe the players wanted to see how fit he really was, so to give him so much work.
“But, of course, that was not our plan. He showed again today why I said so many times that he’s our first goalkeeper.”
It would have been easy to remain coy on the chances of the Irishman holding his place in the side but our head coach stuck his neck on the line with this backing of his counterpart.
We saw numerous world class moments from the 32-year-old on his return to action in Spain and that was exactly why the Dutchman made such a comment and alleviated any concerns of lingering fitness issues.
Our new boss has been reluctant to ever confirm who his main players are since arriving at the club in the summer but even in the build-up to facing Girona, the 46-year-old wasn’t shy of suggesting who his ‘keeper would be for the game.
This shows the ultimate trust in the former Roma man and should help show how loved and respected he is by the man who picks the team every week.
Let’s hope this strengthens their bond and ensures that this six-year stay extends further into the future for a real fan favourite.
You can watch Slot’s comments on Alisson (from 6:13) via Liverpool FC on YouTube:
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