Competitive fixtures may still only be around the corner but Liverpool loanee Marcelo Pitaluga is using pre-season to make his presence known with another standout performance.
The 19-year-old was a regular member of the academy last season in addition to readily training alongside Alisson as Jurgen Klopp‘s fourth-choice goalkeeper.
But a bold move has taken him to the eighth tier of English football with Macclesfield, where he has quickly settled in having started five of the six pre-season friendlies since he signed.
In only his second outing, against the Championship’s West Brom, Pitaluga was named Man of the Match after a surprise 2-0 victory, with his confidence in “commanding his box” the highlight.
And it was the same again against the National League’s York City, with Pitaluga keeping another clean sheet and being recognised as Man of the Match after the 4-0 win.
Another clean sheet, another Man Of The Match performance ?
Marcelo Pitaluga ? pic.twitter.com/A8Su6CGgFa
— Macclesfield FC (@thesilkmen) July 23, 2022
The teenager has not been short of saves to make throughout pre-season but it is not just his performances on the pitch that has impressed, but rather his ability to take on advice and make the needed changes.
After the win over York, manager Danny Whitaker was buoyed by another impressive Pitaglua showing as he continues to settle into his new team.
“Yeah it was [a great performance] and it goes to show how quickly he is growing and settling in here,” Whitaker told Silkmen TV.
“When he first came in here me and the goalie coach, Dom, were speaking about the things he needed to work on and in two games he was a completely different player.
? | Can we just take a moment to fully appreciate this phenomenal save from @mpitaluga_ last night?
No wonder @LFC rate him so highly!
???#PoweredByKeyAndEagle@KeyAndEagle pic.twitter.com/4w7xyKfDRQ
— Macclesfield FC (@thesilkmen) July 13, 2022
“For us, from that perspective, it’s fantastic to see him learning and settling in and getting used to his surroundings and the players he’s playing with. Hope he just continues that.”
It’s still pre-season but the signs for a strong and valuable year ahead are there for Pitaluga, who will still drop in and out of training with Liverpool throughout the season.
