DEAN KIELY HAS an understandable sense of pride when he discusses his lengthy playing career, and it shone through during one conversation at Crystal Palace’s training ground in November 2019.
When he highlighted the fact he lasted 24 years, made 759 appearances and was promoted out of every division in English professional football, he was making a point about overcoming adversity rather than boasting.
“Show me your medals? What I would say to counter is that my medal isn’t a lump of gold, it’s playing at every level and being trusted every week. Survival, having that longevity is something I’m proud of,” he explained.
Kiely began as an understudy to the legendary Steve Ogrizovic at Coventry City in 1987 and ended as a support act for Scott Carson at West Brom.
In between, he reached the Premier League, was capped 11 times for Ireland, and ensured he became part of the fabric at Charlton Athletic where he spent the majority of his career.
It was there that Kiely eventually became a top flight player, shaving his head and taking on a so called mad man persona to try and get into the heads of opponents.
But he also wanted to get into his own to ensure he could remain at the top. He sought the use of a sports psychologist out of his own pocket – unbeknown to manager Alan Curbishley – to try and understand what it would take to maintain a successful career.
“I think, from a psychological point of view, one of the areas was tough thinking and acting. Adopting a persona. You’re not acting or doing something that’s not true to you. I feel you have to be many different sorts of people. Doing whatever it takes for the team. You won’t get a medal at the end of it but on my CV I would have it that I’m a ‘winning underdog’. That tag fits me perfectly,” he added.
Kiely was able to come to that determination about his place in the game while still in the midst of a long career, further reflection being possible once he hung up his gloves.
He has been part of Stephen Kenny’s staff with Ireland since replacing Alan Kelly as goalkeeping coach in September 2022, and the three men he has predominantly worked with on international duty now find themselves at different stages, but all searching for that tag that will define them.
At the moment, Gavin Bazunu, Caoimhin Kelleher and Mark Travers are all Premier League goalkeepers.
Yet each have been faced with challenges this season that have illustrated the precarious nature of their position, and the constant demands that will be faced if they are going to be capable of replicating the kind of longevity which will be the true mark of success.
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Gavin Bazunu (Southampton)
Bazunu recently passed the 100-game milestone as a senior player, quite an achievement for a 20-year-old who had been exposed to a first-team environment at Shamrock Rovers from as young as 14, and has experienced the intense spotlight that comes with being part of a struggling side currently bottom of the Premier League.
A glaring handling error in a defeat to Brighton during the Christmas period led to criticism, the kind of outside noise that every coach and player who has worked with him will tell you is not something he lets affect him.
Bazunu’s mentality and focus have been a standout traits since he made his Rovers debut at 16, and they are elements of his character he will draw on to come through this period.
It was only a couple of months ago that Pep Guardiola explained to The42 how Bazunu’s organisational skills made everyone at Manchester City take notice very quickly after arriving from the League of Ireland.
It’s part of the reason the Premier League champions have a buyback clause after accepting a deal worth up to €18 million during the summer.
The fact he has a new manager in Nathan Jones following the departure of Ralph Hasenhuttl is just another example of circumstances beyond his control potentially affecting his own trajectory.
It’s why delivering consistently is vital.
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Caoimhin Kelleher (Liverpool)
Kelleher, the oldest of the goalkeeping trio at 24, has come through the ranks at Liverpool and established himself as No.2 to Allison, with manager Jurgen Klopp labelling him the best back up in the world.
Maybe that would be a better compliment if he were 10 years older and beginning to wind down.
The Cork native’s talent and temperament have taken him to a point in his career that many others would not be capable of, now the decision rests with Kelleher as to which road to take next.
Kenny describes the way Kelleher operates as “an art form”, his technical ability catching the eye while the solid fundamentals of the position back up the elegance with which he is capable of performing.
It is up to him to determine what’s right for his own future, hinting to the Liverpool Echo after his appearance on 22 December against Manchester City in the EFL Cup that matters will be evaluated in the summer.
Everyone has seen Kelleher’s impressive sporadic displays, the kind that are only possible at a club like Liverpool, under a manager like Klopp, if there was something far more substantial to back it up.
Teasing that talent out and testing different kind of credentials as a recognised first choice is the natural next step.
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Mark Travers (Bournemouth)
For Travers, 23, the see-saw nature of this season at Bournemouth is something you would expect him to have taken in his stride, given he has been on everyone’s radar since making a Premier League debut in May of 2019, a fortnight before he turned 20.
Last year he was imperious as they earned promotion from the Championship, but after a tough start to life back among the elite – including a 9-0 defeat to Liverpool in August – manager Scott Parker was sacked.
One of the first acts of caretaker boss Gary O’Neill was to drop Travers in favour of veteran Brazilian Neto, and only for a thigh injury the 33-year-old would not have been dislodged again.
O’Neill has since got the Bournemouth job on a permanent basis so Travers’ future will be uncertain given the rookie boss has already laid his cards on the table.
But each of these dilemmas and episodes of stress are par for the course for all three as they attempt to negotiate their way through what can be a long and fulfilling career.
There will be no clear and obvious path to take but what Kiely’s case shows is that clarity of thought will prove crucial to find their way.
