‘Football aspect of Liverpool season not so important after Jota’Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Brentford goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher has kept six clean sheets in the Premier League this seasonPublished6 February 2026Former Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher says the death of Diogo Jota means performances and results at his old club are not quite as important this season.
Portuguese winger Jota died in a car crash last summer at the age of 28.
Jota scored 65 goals in 182 appearances for the Reds, helping them win the FA Cup and League Cup in 2022 and the Premier League title last season.
Liverpool are currently sixth in the Premier League – 14 points behind table-topping Arsenal – in what has been a testing season for the club on the pitch.
Republic of Ireland international Kelleher, who left Liverpool for Brentford last June, touched on the emotional impact of Jota’s death in an interview with The Independent., external
The 27-year-old mentioned that for his former club it was “more about them personally and mentally” than anything else this season.
“Obviously, football is a massive sport and people have an opinion, which is natural. People expect you to move on quite quickly, and I don’t think that’s the case,” Kelleher mentioned.
“I find it a bit strange and a bit difficult when I hear people speaking about the players at Liverpool and the performances, because I don’t think this season is even important from a football aspect for them.”
