Cork junior club Ringmahon Rangers are in line for a reported €3 million payday after their former goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher joined Brentford from Liverpool this week. Kelleher came up through the age grades at Ringmahon and eventually lined out for their senior team before making the move to Liverpool in 2015. The Cork club are understood to have agreed a 20 percent sell-on fee with Liverpool when Kelleher moved to Merseyside and are now set for a windfall payment. Kelleher joined the Bees last week for an initial €16 million, potentially rising to €21.3 million with add-on fees, Ringmahon are set to receive what would be the largest ever sell-on payment received by an Irish club. That payment would eclipse the €2 million Shamrock Rovers got from Gavin Bazunu’s move from Manchester City to Southampton. So two goalkeepers providing big payments for their former clubs.
Kelleher, who has secured a five-year contract with the London club, said the decision to leave Anfield was easy for him, saying: ‘‘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 play every week. I heard of some interest a few weeks back. Once I knew Brentford was in for me, it was definitely one I was really excited about and wanted to get it done as quickly as possible.’’ Kelleher also said that he consulted with Irish colleague Nathan Collins, who is currently playing for The Bees, before making his mind up.
The Cork man got his competitive debut with the Reds in late 2019, and has been the designated second-choice goalie to the Brazilian Alisson Becker over the last few years, playing in 25 league games, but with some of his highlights being in cup games such as the 2022 League Cup final against Chelsea when his final kick was the decisive one in the 11-10 penalty shoot out. Over the same period, he was capped 22 times by the Republic, with whom he has been also training this week, as well as signing for a new club, ahead of today's international against top African side Senegal.
