Republic of Ireland under-21 international Caoimhin Kelleher is close to full fitness as he continues his recovery from a knee injury at home.
"I wouldn’t say I’m 100 per cent but I’m nearly there - 90 per cent I’d say."
Kelleher was able to discard his crutches after a couple of weeks and has followed a detailed recovery programme to work his way back to full fitness.
The former Ringmahon Rangers keeper has to record each exercise before sending videos to Lewis and Rydings for feedback and to enable them to make a call on when he is ready to move on to the next stage of his rehabilitation.
Kelleher admits that took a bit of getting use to: "It’s obviously been a bit strange. It’s different to [being at] Melwood, but it’s been alright, to be fair.
"My knee is still healing so it’s not been the case that I’ve needed to be at Melwood, so it’s been ok that I’ve been away. Everything has gone fine."
Liverpool's goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher during the English League Cup against Arsenal at Anfield in October 2019He also revealed the important role played by Joe Lewis and Dave Rydings during the last few weeks.
"I have a good programme that Joe has sent on to me and I’ve just been doing that, so it’s been working. Obviously I’d rather be at Melwood but [can’t be with] the situation.
"Joe has sent me a programme of what I’d be doing in the gym, like my gym-based exercises that I have to be doing for my knee and just for my whole body really.
"I’ve been doing them, videoing them and sending to him and he’s been looking at them and seeing if I can change anything, but it’s been all good.
"My other fitness and gym stuff, Dave has been looking after and he’s been sending me my programmes for that. So I’ve just been in contact with them, letting them know that all my sessions have been OK and my knee is feeling alright, so it’s been fine.
"[We speak] every few days. Obviously I Iet them know how my sessions are going and I might ring Joe if I have any problems with my knee or anything like that and then he’ll let me know what to do.
"But it’s been all good."
Kelleher also said Liverpool's goalkeeping coaches John Achterberg and Jack Robinson have been in touch with him throughout the whole process via the goalkeeper WhatsApp group chat, which also includes Alisson, Adrian and Andy Lonergan.
"They’re always in contact. John’s always on the phone or texting me, asking how my knee is and stuff like that and I’ve been chatting to them and telling them that everything is going well with my rehab.
"We have a goalkeeper group chat that they [Achterberg and Robinson] have sent drills into. The last few weeks I haven’t been able to do them, but probably starting this week I’ll be able to do them.
"They’ve been sending drills in for all the goalkeepers that we can do to keep our fitness up and stuff like that."
Like all Premier League managers, Jurgen Klopp has had to do online training sessions and Kelleher says it also offers a chance for all the players and staff to check in on each other.
"We have a whole group chat with all the players and staff so everyone is in that, letting each other know how everyone is.
"Obviously people have seen that we have regular sessions on Zoom with yoga and different stuff like that so it’s all been good. It’s been nice to see each other.
"It’s just good to get back in the team. Obviously we can’t be at Melwood but you can still be together and that’s good.
"It’s been good craic and it’s been good to have a few sessions with the team.
"Of course I can’t wait to get back. In the meantime we just have to stay in and stay safe, but in the long term I can’t wait."
