Caoimhín Kelleher had an evening he will never forget at Wembley Stadium.
When goalkeepers emerge as heroes after a penalty shootout, that usually means they managed to save a spot kick or two. That wasn't the case for the Irishman, although he would still have a decisive say in his side's Carabao Cup final victory.
With both teams having scored each of their first ten penalties, it came down to the goalkeepers. Kelleher buried his penalty into the top corner, with Chelsea's Kepa going on to put his over the bar.
Many questioned Jurgen Klopp's decision to start the Cork man in this game, with Alisson left to watch on from the sidelines. The German said in the buildup to the final that he would be sticking with the goalkeeper that had got Liverpool to this point in the competition and that call was certainly justified.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, Klopp was overjoyed that Kelleher had played such a large role in his side's triumph.
🗣 "I am two things a professional football manager and a human being and a human being won."
Jurgen Klopp on why he decided to stick with Caoimhin Kelleher in goal for the final pic.twitter.com/tlfWeUp9HH— Football Daily (@footballdaily) February 27, 2022
I think even in professional football there should space for some sentiment to be honest.
He is a young boy, we ask him to do a lot, he gets the competition and starts playing and then we get to the final and I tell him he can't play? I am two things, a professional football manager and a human being. The human being won this time.
That's why it's so nice that it paid off, he deserves it. We told Alisson that he would not play.
At the Axa Training Centre we have a wall in the goalkeeper area where all the goalkeepers are that won something. I thought great, because if we win we can put Caoimhín on it as well.
That's exactly how it should be.
Kelleher is now likely to return to backup duties in the weeks ahead, but this final will certainly live long in his memory.
He will continue to push Alisson over the remainder of the season, with Liverpool now setting their sights on even bigger prizes further down the road.
SEE ALSO: Caoimhín Kelleher Didn't Even Realise He Had Just Made Himself A Cup Final Hero
