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Former <\/b>Liverpool<\/b><\/a> goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher says the death of Diogo Jota means performances and results at his old club are not quite as important this season.<\/b><\/p>\n Portuguese winger Jota died in a car crash<\/a> last summer at the age of 28.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Liverpool<\/a> are currently sixth in the Premier League – 14 points behind table-topping Arsenal<\/a> – in what has been a testing season for the club on the pitch.<\/p>\n Republic of Ireland international Kelleher, who left Liverpool for Brentford<\/a> last June, touched on the emotional impact of Jota’s death in an interview with The Independent., external<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n The 27-year-old said that for his former club it was “more about them personally and mentally” than anything else this season.<\/p>\n “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 said.<\/p>\n “I find it a bit strange and a bit difficult when I hear people speaking about the players at Liverpool<\/a> and the performances, because I don’t think this season is even important from a football aspect for them.”<\/p>\n Last November, Reds boss Arne Slot said his side miss Jota both as a player and a person.<\/a><\/p>\n Those remarks came in the wake of an emotional post-match interview<\/a> from Liverpool<\/a> left-back Andrew Robertson after Scotland had qualified for the World Cup.<\/p>\n Robertson said he had “been in bits” because he “couldn’t get my mate Diogo Jota out of my head” in the build up to a thrilling victory over Denmark which clinched their spot at the tournament.<\/p>\n Kelleher, who made 67 appearances in all competitions for Liverpool<\/a>, having joined the club’s academy in 2015, posted on Instagram when Jota died that the former Wolves<\/a> player had become “one of my closest friends in football”.<\/p>\n He acknowledged that coming to terms with Jota’s death had been “a bit easier” since he was no longer at Anfield.<\/p>\n “I stay in touch with some of the guys there, I have a lot of good friends there. It’s a very difficult time for them, a difficult season, with circumstances that people probably aren’t taking into account too much,” explained Kelleher.<\/p>\n “But it’s probably been a bit easier for me, being away from it, and not being in such close proximity to it every day.<\/p>\n “From an individual aspect, for me to leave and play first-team football was obviously right, never mind the tragedy that happened. “<\/p>\n<\/div>\n