Caoimhin Kelleher proves penalty save was no luck in message to Liverpool boss Arne Slot

Caoimhin Kelleher said led to an impressive

The Anfield keeper was the star of the night, as he helped his national side clinch a 1-0 victory over Finland in Thursday's Nations League encounter in Dublin. Not just maintaining a clean sheet, turned hero by saving a crucial penalty from Joel Pohjanpalo, ensuring Evan Ferguson's first-half goal sealed the win for Ireland.

Post-match, Kelleher was hailed as the player of the match and shared his thoughts on the penalty save with RTE Sport: "Before he [Pohjanpalo] stepped up I looked at the run-up and went with my instincts and thankfully went the right way.

"Maybe in the first half, we rode our luck at times as well. Two off the post [for Finland] and good defending as well, some good blocks which you have to do at times. Thankfully we scored a great goal as well. Other than the penalty there weren't many chances in the second half so lots of positives to take from that."

Eyes are now on Ireland's upcoming clash with England at Wembley. Kelleher is keen to feature again before he heads back to Liverpool next week. Kelleher has been filling in for the injured at Liverpool over the past few months. Alisson sustained a hamstring injury on Oct. 5 against Crystal Palace and has been absent from the last seven matches across all competitions.

Arne Slot recently affirmed that despite Kelleher's impressive performances this season, Alisson remains Liverpool's No. 1 goalkeeper. It is still uncertain when Alisson will recover from his injury, but after shining for both club and country, Kelleher will be hoping that his form presents Slot with a decision to make in the forthcoming weeks and months.