St Patrick's Athletic sign Liverpool keeper Marcelo Pitaluga on loan

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

The 21-year-old Brazilian is the sixth new addition to Jon Daly's squad ahead of the beginning of the new League of Ireland campaign next month.

Pitaluga spent his youth career in his homeland with Vasco Da Gama before 10 years with Fluminense.

He was in the Brazil squad that won the FIFA U17 World Cup in November 2019 and joined Liverpool in October 2020, aged 17.

He has since played regularly in the LFC Academy and for the club's U21 and U23 sides, was on the bench for the first team on seven occasions and featured for Liverpool in a pre-season friendly last summer. He signed a new contract extension at Anfield before completing his loan deal to Inchicore.

The 6'4'' shot-stopper spent time on loan Macclesfield FC during the 2022/23 EFL season, making 17 appearances, before returning to Liverpool.

Pitaluga is the second goalkeeper to join the Saints on loan from Liverpool in recent years, following in the footsteps of Vítezslav Jaros, who helped St Pat's win the FAI Cup last season before returning to Merseyside.

"It feels amazing to have joined St Pat's, it's going to be a really big season and I can't wait", Pitaluga said.

"I heard many good things about St Patrick's and the League of Ireland from Vitezslav Jaros and also spoke to Jon (Daly) and PJ (Pat Jennings), I think it will be really good for my career so I decided to come here.

"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."