A very difficult time- Ex-Liverpool star says Jota’s still affecting the Reds

Former Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher has suggested that emotional and mental challenges within the club have played a major role in shaping Liverpool’s current season.

Jota tragically passed away in a car accident last summer at the age of 28.

Speaking in an interview with The Independent, the 27-year-old explained that circumstances behind the scenes have made the campaign far more complex than results on the pitch alone might suggest.

“It’s a very difficult time for them, a difficult season, with circumstances that people probably aren’t taking into account too much,” Kelleher said.

He added, “I find it a bit strange and a bit difficult when I hear people speaking about the players and the performances, because I don’t think this season is even important from a football aspect for them, to be honest.”

Kelleher, who has since moved on from Anfield in search of regular first-team football, admitted that leaving the club has given him some distance from the emotional demands faced by those still involved daily.

He said, “From an individual aspect, leaving to play first-team football was obviously right. It’s probably been a bit easier for me, being away from it, and not being in such proximity to everything every day.”