Last November, Reds boss Arne Slot said his side miss Jota both as a player and a person.
Those remarks came in the wake of an emotional post-match interview from Liverpool left-back Andrew Robertson after Scotland had qualified for the World Cup.
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.
Kelleher, who made 67 appearances in all competitions for Liverpool, having joined the club’s academy in 2015, posted on Instagram when Jota died that the former Wolves player had become “one of my closest friends in football”.
He acknowledged that coming to terms with Jota’s death had been “a bit easier” since he was no longer at Anfield.
“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.
“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.
“From an individual aspect, for me to leave and play first-team football was obviously right, never mind the tragedy that happened. “
