Marcelo Pitaluga back to Liverpool as indifferent St Patrick’s Athletic loan ends but Stephen Kenny sees ‘big future’

Stephen Kenny has predicted that Brazilian goalkeeper Marcelo Pitaluga will have a “big future” in the game as he returns to Liverpool after an unsettled loan spell with St Patrick’s Athletic.

Pitaluga was installed as No. 1 with the Saints at the start of the season, replacing Dean Lyness, and had a good start to life in Ireland with a clean sheet on his league debut against Galway United. But then after three successive defeats, the final one a 3-1 loss to Waterford, he was dropped by Jon Daly as Danny Rogers took over in goal.

Daly’s successor, Kenny, kept faith in Rogers, with Pitaluga having a watching brief from the bench, and now his loan spell is up, he goes back to Liverpool.

"They want him back, he's back training with the first team. He's a breath of fresh air, a great guy,” Kenny said. “We like Marcelo, a really talented athletic goalkeeper who just hasn't been in the team. I didn't get to see him play in the team here, bar the Leinster Senior Cup, but he has a big future ahead of him.”

Saints fans noted the progress made by a previous keeper loaned to them by Liverpool as Vitezslav Jaros, an FAI Cup winner with Pat’s in 2021, had a brilliant spell with Sturm Graz in Austria last season, winning the double with form that earned him a place in the Czechia squad for Euro 2024.

Pat’s have added another keeper with the return of ex-Saint Joseph Anang after he was released by West Ham.

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