Latest news with #JakeOBrien
The Independent
4 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Caoimhin Kelleher can be one of Premier League's best keepers – Jake O'Brien
Jake O'Brien has backed Republic of Ireland team-mate Caoimhin Kelleher to establish himself as one of the best keepers in the Premier League as he closes in on a move from Liverpool to Brentford. The 26-year-old was conspicuous by his absence from training with the Ireland squad on Monday morning having travelled to London with a view to tying up a move to the Gtech Community Stadium which could eventually cost the Bees £18million. Kelleher, who picked up a league winners' medal with the Reds this season, has made no secret of his desire for regular first-team football and with Mark Flekken seemingly heading for Bayer Leverkusen, looks sets to be granted his wish by Thomas Frank. Everton defender O'Brien, who will hope to play alongside his fellow Cork man in Friday's friendly clash with Senegal in Dublin, told a press conference: 'It doesn't take for me to say how good he is. I think everyone knows how good he is and what he's achieved over the last couple of years. 'If it goes through, it's a great move for him, to become a number one in the Premier League. 'It's a great move for him, to go and play every week is very important and he's more than good enough. Brentford have done well this season so it's a club he can progress and do a lot at. 'I think everyone knows how good he is and how high his ceiling is. He can push on and do great things.' Kelleher, who also has two Carabao Cup wins to his name, made 20 appearances in all competitions for Liverpool during the season which has just finished but had to play second fiddle to Brazilian Alisson Becker once again. He has been open in the recent past while on international duty about his need to play every week and, having made the Ireland jersey his own in the midst of Gavin Bazunu's injury problems, seems ready now to set out on a new path. O'Brien said: 'It's a difficult one because he is number two at Liverpool, but he's obviously got a really good keeper ahead of him. 'He's definitely up there with the best keepers in the Premier League and I think next year he'll show that he's up there with the best. 'I think he's proven in the games he has played for Liverpool that he can be up there with some of the best keepers in the league.' Although O'Brien and Kelleher live close to each other on Merseyside, they are separated by the city's football divide and the Blues defender, who joined the Toffees from Lyon last summer, admits he does not see a lot of his compatriot outside of their international commitments. He said: 'I think that's just because in football, you've other things going on. 'He lives in the same area as me. I suppose it would be difficult if we were seen together as Merseyside rivals, some fans wouldn't take it well.'
Irish Times
4 days ago
- General
- Irish Times
Jake O'Brien: ‘We all feel we are good enough to be at the World Cup'
Séamus Coleman is absent from the Republic of Ireland squad for the upcoming friendlies against Senegal and Luxembourg. Nobody has stated with any certainty if the 36-year-old's playing career is over. Everton manager David Moyes is adamant his captain will be contracted to the club next season. In what capacity, however, remains unclear as Coleman has struggled with injuries for several years. Jake O'Brien is the next man up. The Ireland skipper's unavailability provided an opportunity for O'Brien to establish himself as a Premier League right-back. 'Séamus is a huge part of the club at Everton, everyone knows that, he's highly respected – what he's going to do next July I don't know,' said O'Brien. READ MORE 'He can do what he wants. If he wants to be a coach or a player, either one he wants to be, but I think it's important we keep him at the club, he's at the heart of everything. 'He was only caretaker manager for a week [in January] but it was great. He's like that all the time, always driving standards in training, he was no different as caretaker.' O'Brien rolled the best and worst season of his career into the past 12 months. Everton paid Lyon €19.5 million for the 24-year-old last summer only for Sean Dyche to barely notice. Dyche used the 6ft 6in defender twice off the bench as The Toffees annual flirtation with relegation forced a managerial change in January. Moyes returned to Goodison Park and immediately transformed O'Brien into a right-back, mainly to due to the unavailability of Coleman. In 12 straight Premier League starts at full-back, the Cork man showed his distribution skills, earning a recall to Heimir Hallgrímsson's international squad, where he forced his way into the team against Bulgaria in March, at centre-back alongside Nathan Collins. 'Six months back I was in a different place, I wasn't where I thought I'd be when I came to Everton,' he admitted. 'I worked hard every day in training. It happens in football, sometimes managers favour you and others don't, a lot can happen in six months. Jake O'Brien in training. Photograph: Tom Maher/Inpho 'I think when [Moyes] came in, he just knew the club really well and what worked for the club and I think he just got to know the players really well and what works for the team. He didn't come in and try to change too much all of a sudden. He was very open-minded when you were speaking to him and I'm grateful that he's given me a chance so everyone knows that he knows what he is doing and that has shown in the last six months with how we finished strongly in the season.' Matt Doherty has the Ireland right-back role under wraps for the time being, but it was instructive to see Hallgrímsson go with O'Brien ahead of another established Premier League performer in Dara O'Shea. Now that O'Shea, Celtic's Liam Scales and O'Brien all reported for training on Monday morning, the Ireland manager's pecking order will be revealed on Friday against Senegal at the Aviva Stadium. The centre-half stocks are so plentiful that Hallgrímsson has experimented with Collins as a holding midfielder alongside Josh Cullen. Last year, for 45 minutes at Wembley, it worked. Then Scales was sent off for a second yellow card and England scored five goals. 'It's always been a strong position with the Irish team, we've always had good defenders,' said O'Brien after training in Abbotstown. 'As a player you always have to be confident you can come in and stake your place, we have good players in that position so it's up to the manager at the end of the day.' Despite the unavailability of former Liverpool star Sadio Mané, Senegal are ranked 19th in the world – to Ireland's 60th – for good reason. O'Brien knows all about the individual quality of their Everton duo Idrissa Gueye and Iliman Ndiaye. 'The two lads are obviously really good players who have had really good seasons in the Premier League. If you look at the overall squad, they have very prolific players and I think it's good for us to come up against these teams and prepare for the World Cup.' In that sense, it is a useful fixture. In reality, Hallgrímsson will use the game to settle upon the starting XI that can beat Hungary in the opening World Cup qualifier at the Aviva Stadium on September 6th. Three days later Ireland return to Yerevan to face an Armenia side that beat them 1-0 in 2022. 'We all feel we are good enough to be at the World Cup,' said O'Brien. 'This is a different type of opposition to what we are used to but it's important we play these types of teams and know that we're good enough to go toe to toe with them.'
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Residents take to Hammonasset Beach on Memorial Day to kick off summer
MADISON, Conn. (WTNH) — Sandcastles, beach volleyball and sunbathing were in full swing Monday at Hammonasset Beach State Park for the 'unofficial start of summer.' Beachgoers soaked up the sun after a weekend of rain. 'We are playing spikeball over here,' said Jake O'Brien from Wallingford. 'It has been rainy recently now it's a beautiful day and we're taking advantage of the beach.' Some families took to the park for a cookout, camping and quality time. Communities across Connecticut observe Memorial Day with parades and ceremonies 'We enjoy each other's company that's the greatest thing about camping with this crew we all get along and we enjoy each other and rain or shine we are going to have fun,' said Toni Acciardo of North Haven. Others made the journey to the shoreline from out of state. 'Actually getting outside you know,' said Jason Foley from North Haven. 'Coming down from the University of Maine, it is a lot warmer here than up there so looking forward to actually spending time outside and getting sunlight.' Walkers, runners and bikers all soaked up the sun on Monday, joining the crowds on the shore. 'I think really just getting outside going on the bike paths,' said Newtown residents Jack Whelan and Sadie Elkow. 'We don't go biking too often we love the aquarium it's the best time to go in the summer we go to the aquarium we go fishing, days out with his friends just outside playing frisbee.' While Memorial Day is seen as the 'unofficial start of summer,' the season doesn't start officially until June 20. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
