Chris Kirkland has criticised Kepa Arrizabalaga for refusing to adapt his game after his move to Chelsea following his demotion by Frank Lampard.

Speaking exclusively to GIVEMESPORT, the former Liverpool and England goalkeeper has slammed the Spaniard.

Kepa became the most expensive goalkeeper in world football when he joined the Blues in 2018, costing £71m from Spanish club Athletic Bilbao.

The 26-year-old made a total of 41 appearances in all competitions last season, conceding 58 times, and keeping a total of 10 clean sheets.

This season, he made just three league appearances, conceding six times, including shipping three against Southampton, and has been replaced by Edouard Mendy.

Chelsea paid £22m to sign the latter from Rennes and he has already kept three league clean sheets.

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Kirkland, who spent the majority of his career in the top-flight, believes Kepa should have made more effort to adapt his game to the rough-and-tumble of the top-flight, having joined from Spain.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, he said: “Kepa, when you come from abroad, with the Kepa situation, where he’s come from abroad, totally different game, totally different games, when you come to the Premier League, you know, you've got to be ready, you're going to get hit, you're going to get smashed, you're going to get put under pressure when the ball goes back to you and he's not adapted to it.

“You know, you've got to change certain bits of your game, when you come to the Premier League.

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“And Allison had it at the start where, I don't know if you remember the Leicester mistake he made. Not in that sense, because he learned from it quick. And he's thinking I can't get away with this.

“Now, you know, I'm not in Spain, where the players don't really chase you down or do but not with the intensity that a Jamie Vardy does. Or you know, one of the other strikers so you've got to adapt. And he's not done that and he's made mistake after mistake.”

Kepa is now on the bench, which is a remarkable feat for a player who was signed as the most expensive goalkeeper in world football.

But Kirkland is right; he hasn’t adapted and now he faces the prospect of watching on as Mendy stays between the sticks.