NewsMarcelo Pitaluga on Alisson influence, Liverpool learning and next steps

The 20-year-old Brazilian joined the Reds' set-up from Fluminense in 2020 and is able to call upon a support network that includes two of the best stoppers his homeland has ever produced.

Pitaluga is in the invaluable position of serving as an understudy to Alisson Becker, while also having World Cup winner Claudio Taffarel as part of the senior team's coaching staff.

"I feel like I've learnt a lot being at Liverpool with such incredible players and, obviously for me, having Alisson here," Pitaluga recently told the matchday programme. "He is Brazilian as well and is one of the best 'keepers in the world.

"Working with him and the other 'keepers, plus John [Achterberg], Jack [Robinson] and Taffarel, has been really good. Taffarel has been really important, especially for us Brazilians.

"He is a Brazil legend back home, so for me as a young goalie there is nothing more I can ask [for] than working with Taffa and Alisson.

"Taffa and the other coaches are always speaking to me, saying I can improve this and improve that, but I can also talk to Alisson as well and watch him, which is the main part.

"He has definitely helped me off the pitch since I arrived but all the Brazilians have helped. Now he is the only Brazilian, apart from me, but all the South Americans help each other. It makes us all feel a bit more at home."

As well as training with Jürgen Klopp's squad, Pitaluga has been a regular for Liverpool's Academy sides since arriving and also enjoyed a beneficial spell out on loan at Macclesfield FC last season.

He remains open to any opportunity in 2023-24 that can help him further develop his goalkeeping skills.

"Going out on loan to a Football League team is one possibility," Pitaluga said. "We will see how it goes, but it is massive at my age to be playing games. It would be a step up from last season, but I am more than ready for that.

"Last season I played for Macclesfield but was still able to train here at Liverpool and then go up there for the games. I played loads of games until I unfortunately got injured and it was really important to get minutes.

"It was definitely more physical and I would say this was one of the main points about going there. You don't get this level of physicality in the U21s, so it was a bit more of a challenge for me.

"Playing the ball out from the back is not really common at that level either, but luckily enough I was playing for a club that tried to do that. It was a good aspect for me as I was trying to work on playing the ball out and we did well.

"We got promoted as champions and I really enjoyed it. I played loads of games for the side and in the end we finished in first place. There's nothing more I can ask for."