Kelleher joins Brentford and says 'it wasn't difficult to leave Liverpool'
Caoimhín Kelleher sealed his move to Brentford today and insisted it was an easy decision to leave champions Liverpool.
The Ireland international has signed a five-year deal with the Bees in a move that could be worth €21 million with performance related add-ons. And the contract includes an option to extend the stay by a further 12 months.
Kelleher - who made 67 appearances for Liverpool - won a second Premier League medal this season but was desperate to become a No 1 in his own right.
Brentford were in the market for a quality goalkeeper after selling Mark Flekken to Bayer Leverkusen. And after completing the transfer, Cork man Kelleher, 26, said: 'I'm buzzing, I'm really happy to be here.
'I don't think it was very difficult for me to leave Liverpool. I felt for my own career that the time was right for me to go, to be a no.1 and to play every week.
'I heard of some interest a number of weeks ago. Once I knew Brentford was in for me, it was definitely one I was really excited about and wanted to do as quickly as possible.
'When I come back for pre-season, all focus will be on what I want to do next year; to work on certain goals and what I need to improve on.'
Kelleher skipped Ireland's training session on Monday to complete his medical but was back with the Boys in Green in Dublin today. He will join forces with Ireland team-mate Nathan Collins at Brentford and Kelleher revealed how Collins helped persuade him to sign.
'I spoke to Nathan. He spoke really well about the whole club. It'll make it easier for me to settle in and be nice to have a few friendly faces,' said the Corkman.
Kelleher continued: 'I came down to meet the manager and some of the coaches. They spoke to me about why they wanted me to be here and showed me around.
'It was interesting to see their point of view on why they wanted to sign me and how they think they can develop my game.
'It was impressive and I think the club's a really good fit for me. They've got a really good track record of improving and developing players which is what's drawn here.'
Brentford's Director of football Phil Giles insists Kelleher was always their first choice target once they knew Flekken was leaving.
Giles said: 'I'm very pleased to welcome Caoimhín to Brentford. We have scouted him in the past and were aware that he had a year to go on his contract with Liverpool.
'When Mark Flekken had the opportunity to move to Bayer Leverkusen, we immediately thought about Caoimhín as his replacement.
'As well as being a very good goalkeeper, I've rarely met a player for whom everybody has such positive words to say about his personality and character.'
And Brentford goalkeeper coach Manu Sotelo feels there is even more to come from Kelleher.
'Caoimhín is a young keeper full of talent who has already proven how he can perform in the Premier league as well as Europe,' said Sotelo.
'He is calm and obsessed with improving. His best quality is his agility and he is a clever goalkeeper, with positioning and awareness being key elements of his game.
'With us, I'm confident he will achieve the next level in terms of performance and show the potential he has. I'm looking forward to working with him.'
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