Monday 28 May 2018 13:23, UK
Liverpool must look for a new world-class goalkeeper in the summer as it will be "very difficult" for Loris Karius to stay at the club, says Peter Shilton.
Karius made two significant mistakes in Liverpool's 3-1 Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid - throwing the ball straight to Karim Benzema, who turned the ball into an empty net to put Real ahead - before he let Gareth Bale's long-range strike slip through his hands for the third.
The 24-year-old, who has made a total of 49 appearances for Liverpool across all competitions since signing from Mainz in 2016, broke down in tears at the full-time whistle, later adding "I lost my team the game".
Shilton, who won back-to-back European titles as Nottingham Forest's shot-stopper in 1979 and 1980, told Sky Sports News: "I think the manager will have to look to get a world-class goalkeeper.
"He will have to buy him. Liverpool have struggled in the past two or three seasons with goalkeepers.
"Karius got in and was very consistent towards the end, we all thought Liverpool had finally solved their goalkeeping problem. But of course, it's there again now.
"If he does stay at Liverpool I hope the fans give him a chance. They're the sort of fans that would do that, but I think it will be very difficult for him to stay at Liverpool."
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has since offered his sympathies to Karius, who received death threats on social media after the final in Kiev.
Karius has also received support from fellow Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet who said that he had "been in this situation" before.
"I feel for him," added Shilton. "It was two horrendous mistakes in one of the biggest games in history - certainly for Liverpool anyway, who haven't been to a Champions League final for years.
"From his point of view, he's apologised for it, he can't do any more than that. But what was going through his mind at the time?
"I think the first one was just a lack of concentration. I don't know what he was trying to do.
"That affected him for the second one. He got caught in two minds and did nothing. Instead of patting the ball down or diving on it, because there was 15 to 20 yards from the opposition player, he just did nothing. He made a horrendous error."
Liverpool have already been linked with a £60m move for Lyon forward Nabil Fekir, but have not yet been in the market for a new No 1, and Shilton hopes that Karius will be given a clean slate next season if he remains at Anfield.
"If he does stay, the manager will give him another chance at the beginning of the season. I hope so, just for his own sake, because he's got a long career in front of him and time's a great healer.
"As a goalkeeper you can't hide. If an outfield player makes a mistake, a striker misses a couple of chances, it's easily forgotten. Goalkeeping is different.
"Goalkeepers have got to be mad sometimes because you have to face so much criticism."
