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Eyebrows were raised when Liverpool announced Andy Lonergan would be joining the European champions on their US tour last month.

With Alisson away after taking part in the Copa America, the free agent was snapped up as goalkeeping cover and to help with training.

Jurgen Klopp prompted even more surprise when starting Lonergan against Sevilla in the second of three friendlies Stateside.

The goalkeeper impressed at Fenway Park in what was his first appearance since featuring for Rochdale against Scunthorpe United in League One back in March, producing a fine save to deny Luuk de Jong while there was nothing he could do about Nolito’s emphatic opener.

Staying with Liverpool for the remainder of pre-season for trips to Edinburgh and Evian, as well as the Community Shield at Wembley, Lonergan impressed but Klopp ultimately decided against offering the veteran a contract.

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And while he remained at Anfield to train, his surprise adventure with the European champions appeared to have come to an end.

However, there will have been little surprise at the news that the 35-year-old is now set to sign a one-year contract with the Reds after Alisson's calf injury, suffered on the opening day of the season against Norwich City, has offered him a reprieve.

At 35 years old, Lonergan has had to wait for his opportunity alongside England’s elite.

The veteran shot-stopper has been one of the most recognisable goalkeepers in the Championship throughout his career.

But with it currently unclear just how long Liverpool will be without Alisson, he will now get the chance to win the first silverware of his career as understudy to Adrian with Klopp confirming he's set to start on the bench in Wednesday's European Super Cup final against Chelsea.

"The situation was even more difficult a few weeks ago because of injuries," Klopp explained. "But Caoimhin Kelleher is now in his final steps for being completely back.

"He’s training only [for] five days or so, catching balls and all that stuff, it looks all good but of course we have to find a solution in the short term and that will be, if nothing happens from now to then, Andy Lonergan.

"He was in with us, he’s a brilliant character, a really nice lad and helped us a lot in the pre-season and now we decided to work together with him.

"We can have obviously a lot of players on the bench (against Chelsea) which is good and I think Andy will be one of them."

Fans with a good memory will remember the veteran shot-stopper standing between the opposing sticks against the Reds in the FA Cup for Preston North End in 2009 and Bolton Wanderers in 2015.

And while the goalkeeper will prove to be one of the unlikeliest Liverpool signings in recent years, he could have easily ended up becoming a more recognisable foe having just missed out on moves to the Premier League in the past – including one rather close to home.

“Owen Coyle showed a bit of interest in me when he was at Burnley,” Lonergan shared when looking back at his career so far in 2013. “But being a Preston player it wasn’t the right move for me, even though they had just won promotion to the Premier League.

“The relegation season at Preston (2010/11) was a strange one. I had the opportunity to leave in the summer (of 2010) and I thought I was on my way to West Brom.

“Preston upped their price and the deal didn’t happen, and in all honesty it hurt me a lot.

“The manager stopped me leaving on deadline day, but two days later he told me I could leave.”

When the player’s time at Deepdale did draw to a close as financially-stricken Preston unsuccessfully fought against relegation months later, Lonergan trained with Everton as he reunited with David Moyes, the manager who gave him his debut as a 16-year-old in 2000, as part of a deal which saw Iain Turner join the Lilywhites on loan.

But the goalkeeper revealed he actually turned down a permanent move to Goodison Park the following summer in favour of his first stint at Leeds United.

“I had the opportunity to join Everton or Leeds,” Lonergan revealed. “I thought for my career it would be best to join Leeds.”

Elaborating on his decision, the shot-stopper offered an insight into what has motivated him throughout his career.

“I just want to play as many games as possible and that’s the target,” he said. “When I’ve finished playing football, that’s when I can look back and say I’ve played a lot of games and that is something I’m proud of, but right now I want to keep playing for as long as I can.

“I’d love to play in the Premier League one day – it’s a dream that every player has, but as you get older, your goals change and you just learn to enjoy the present and what you have in front of you.”

Now at the back-end of his career, Lonergan’s goals have changed once again and Alisson’s untimely injury leaves him on the verge of finally accomplishing a dream he had long-since given up on.