Caoimhin Kelleher’s remarkable record against penalties and those he has denied

Caoimhin Kelleher extended his remarkable record against penalties when he saved from Cristiano Ronaldo in the Republic of Ireland’s World Cup qualifying clash with Portugal over the weekend.

The Republic were beaten by Ruben Neves’ stoppage-time goal but not before Kelleher added to his spot-kick reputation by kicking Ronaldo’s effort away with a trailing foot.

The Brentford goalkeeper has saved more than half the penalties he has faced in his senior career and here, the PA news agency looks at his record and the big names he has defied.

– Saturday’s save was Kelleher’s sixth from 11 penalties faced in senior football, excluding shoot-outs.

– His last three saves have been from Ronaldo – who also had a spot-kick kept out by Ireland’s Gavin Bazunu in a World Cup qualifier in 2021 – Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes and Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe.

– Having been beaten by FC Midtjylland’s Alexander Scholz in a 2020 Champions League clash, he made his first save from Norwich’s Christos Tzolis in the following season’s League Cup.

– Those were the last penalties he faced outside of shoot-outs until November 2024, when in the space of a fortnight with Ireland and Liverpool, he saved from Finland’s Joel Pohjanpalo, Southampton’s Adam Armstrong and Mbappe and was beaten by England’s Harry Kane.

– Ryan Hardie sealed a shock FA Cup win for Plymouth from the last penalty Kelleher faced with Liverpool. After joining Brentford this season, he was beaten by Sunderland’s Enzo Le Fee in the Premier League and Armenia’s Eduard Spertsyan in a World Cup qualifier before saving from Fernandes and Ronaldo.

– The six players Kelleher has saved from have an average conversion rate of 80 per cent in senior football. Fernandes leads the way at an impressive 88 per cent, scoring 59 out of 67 penalties, while Ronaldo has scored a remarkable 177 out of 211 (84 per cent).

– Kelleher’s penalty shoot-out record is also impressive, setting Liverpool records of six saves and four wins in shoot-outs. That includes the 2022 Carabao Cup final against Chelsea, where Kelleher could not produce a save but did score the decisive penalty as opposite number Kepa Arrizabalaga blazed over the crossbar.

– Kelleher saved three out of five penalties with Liverpool and has two out of four for Ireland, with one out of two for Brentford.

– He has saved twice in the Premier League and conceded only once, with 50 per cent records in the Champions League, Nations League and World Cup qualifiers as well as across the English domestic cups, with a save in the League Cup, while conceding in the FA Cup.