St Pat’s sign Liverpool goalkeeper Marcelo Pitaluga on loan

The 21-year-old Brazilian becomes Jon Daly’s sixth signing ahead of new Airtricity League season

Marcelo Pitaluga in action for Liverpool u23s. Photograph: Nick Taylor/Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Marcelo Pitaluga in action for Liverpool u23s. Photograph: Nick Taylor/Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

St Patrick’s Athletic have signed goalkeeper Marcelo Pitaluga on loan from Liverpool.

The Inchicore outfit will be hoping the 21-year-old Brazilian can make a similar impact to Vitezslav Jaros, another goalkeeper who signed from Liverpool in 2021, and helped St Pat’s to victory in the FAI Cup final that season.

The Brazilian has yet to play for the Liverpool first team but is highly rated by them and has just signed a contract extension with the club. He made 17 league appearances on loan at English non-league club Macclesfield last season.

Pitaluga said it felt “amazing” to join the FAI Cup holders after hearing “many good things” about the club and the league from Jaros and the coaches at Liverpool.

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He told the St Pat’s website: “I watched clips of St Pat’s online and I watched the FAI Cup final too which looked like an unbelievable experience for everyone, that played a part in my decision too so I’m looking forward to starting the season.”

The goalkeeper is Jon Daly’s sixth signing ahead of the new League of Ireland season, which St Pat’s begin in the President’s Cup curtain-raiser against Shamrock Rovers on February 9th.

Simon Bracken

Simon Bracken

Simon Bracken is a journalist at The Irish Times