Vitezslav Jaros shares reaction to surprise Liverpool debut after Alisson injury

Liverpool goalkeeper Vitezslav Jaros has admitted that it was a "brilliant" feeling to make his Reds debut as he replaced Alisson Becker from the bench in the victory over Crystal Palace.

The Brazilian stopper went down clutching his right leg in the 79th minute of play at Selhurst Park and was deemed unable to carry on by medical staff. With usual backup Caoimhin Kelleher unavailable for the trip to South London due to illness, Czech international Jaros was called upon to deputize in goal.

With Liverpool defending a one-score lead in the closing stages en route to a 1-0 win on the road, the 23-year-old helped to see out the result with a solid substitute appearance. The stand-in star played his part in the win, denying a shot from Eberechi Eze to earn a clean sheet for the visitors.

Now, the former Slavia Prague trainee has reflected on making his senior bow for the club in unexpected circumstances against Palace. Describing the experience after the game, he shared that he had achieved a childhood ambition: "[It was] a brilliant feeling, something you dream of as a kid.

"Obviously, it’s a bit stressful coming on as a ‘keeper especially in a game like this when it was up and down towards the end but managed to get the clean sheet and managed to get the three points. So, brilliant. I went on a few loans in the past which I think got me ready, so I’m ready and available to play whenever.

As for whether head coach Arne Slot offered any words of wisdom before he was sent on, he added: "Not much really and I think it’s better because your head’s racing already. And then everyone around you is saying ‘There’s your shirt, put your shin pads on’ and all this. They didn’t say much and I think it’s better."

Speaking to TNT Sports after the game, the Dutchman confessed that he had to talk Jaros out of wanting to leave Liverpool over the summer. He said: "[It's] always nice for a team that everyone is involved in the results. [He handled it] really good. He had a very good season last season, he won the league and cup where he was in Austria.

"We trust him a lot. He wanted to go [back this season] because he wanted to have playing time again. We said at a club like this, we also need a very good third goalkeeper as well. Today proves we were right, and maybe for him, it was a nice moment for him to make his debut for Liverpool."

With the exact details of Alisson's injury still unknown at this stage, the Reds boss seemed to be reluctant to put much of a timeframe on his No. 1's potential return. He said: "It's going to take a few weeks. The latest is we don't know. It means he's not in the Brazil squad and I don't expect him to be in the team in the first game we play afterwards."

"Alisson is our clear No. 1. [He is] the best goalkeeper in the world so it's always a blow when he gets injured. But in almost every position we have a second option that is also really good."