Former Man Utd man makes Liverpool ‘trust’ admission after surprise transfer

Robbie Savage has reiterated his appreciation that Liverpool have allowed Marcelo Pitaluga to join Macclesfield FC on loan.

The Brazilian goalkeeper has moved to the Silkmen, who play in the Northern Premier League Division One West - the eighth tier of English football - for the 2022-23 season.

Life as Moss Rose will be a stark contrast to being at an elite European club for Pitaluga, who appeared on the bench four times last season for the Reds.

But moving to Macclesfield gives Pitaluga - who cost Liverpool £1.8 million from Fluminense in 2020 - the chance to play regular senior football for the first time.

Savage is director of football at the Silkmen.

And the former Manchester United and Leicester City midfielder has insisted that despite being the tender age of 19, Pitiulga will have Macclesfield’s utmost trust.

What’s been said

Speaking to The Mirror, he said: “When you strip it down, it’s incredible - a team which didn’t even exist last year has signed a £2 million player from Liverpool, one of the richest clubs in the world.

“Marcelo was in the Brazil squad who won the under-17 World Cup two years ago, and he is so highly-rated at Anfield that Jurgen Klopp put him on the bench four times for the first team last season.

“We would like to thank Liverpool for making it happen, and the bottom line in our deal is that Marcelo will play every week to gain experience.

“Even if he makes the odd mistake, he will be trusted – just as Liverpool are trusting us to look after him. It was vital, absolutely imperative, that we were promoted from the North West Counties Premier Division last season because different transfer rules apply to the Northern Premier League.

t gave us the ability to bring in loan signings from top professional clubs and I am confident there will be more to follow. But this isn’t a question of trying to ‘buy’ success, which is how a few jealous rivals see it – we can only bring in players of Marcelo’s quality because we generate income from our tremendous support.

“Last season, Macclesfield averaged the seventh-highest average crowds in non-League football – and more than half a dozen EFL clubs. Our head of recruitment, Jimmy Holmes, has his finger on the pulse of who’s available for transfer or loan at all levels and he got in touch with Liverpool’s loans manager David Woodfine to explore the possibility of Marcelo playing at our level.

“David knows we run Macclesfield along professional lines, training three mornings a week and with players expected to train as they play. He has seen the influence of our ex-professionals, like Neil Danns, and the prospect of playing in front of 4,000 fans every week at the Leasing.com stadium was perhaps our trump card.”