Liverpool fans may have watched goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi’s performance against Spurs with mild interest. After their exit against Atletico Madrid, their thoughts may have returned to the RB Leipzig stopper as one that got away. Gulacsi has been a key part of Leipzig’s rise and is viewed by some observers as the best in the Bundesliga at present.
Peter Gulacsi: Liverpool’s Loss and Leipzig’s Gain?
Gulacsi’s Journey from Liverpool to Leipzig
Adrian’s mistimed clearance which led to Madrid’s equaliser was a pivotal moment on the night. Goalkeeping errors are brutally exposed, especially in high profile games. Just ask another recent Liverpool keeper, Loris Karius. Yet it may well have had some of the Liverpool fans ruefully remembering Gulacsi.
Gulacsi’s career strikes as the epitome of the modern-day footballer looking to make their way in the game. He was on Liverpool’s books between 2007-11, having signed on loan from his home-town club, MTK Budapest, as a 17-year old. The Liverpool hierarchy saw the talent of the young keeper, but he would never play for the first team. He impressed in the Reserves enough to make the signing permanent and would sit on the bench as cover in 30 Premier League games.
For the remainder of his Liverpool days he was sent out on loan. Gulacsi had spells at Hereford, Tranmere and Hull. He acknowledges these loans spells as valuable in his education, with the Hereford spell particularly memorable. Hereford were going through a horrendously low period in their history when Gulacsi joined in 2009.
Liverpool goalkeepers usually have long spells of quiet in a game, requiring great levels of concentration. This was not the story at Hereford, where Gulacsi was a busy man for the full ninety minutes. Gulacsi would later tell the Hereford Times, “The games were a bit like a training session because I had almost 20 shots to save in every game and was dealing with chances all the time.”
Time To Move On
Gulacsi called time on his Liverpool career in 2013 and moved on a free transfer to RB Salzburg. Liverpool brought in Simon Mignolet. Two seasons later and Gulacsi signed for his current club RB Leipzig, at that point playing in Bundesliga 2. By season 2016-17 Leipzig were playing in the top tier of German football.
Gulacsi has been an integral part of their rise. Last season he kept the most clean sheets in the Bundesliga and had the lowest goals conceded per game ratio at just 0.8. This season to date Leipzig sit third in the table having conceded just 26 goals in 25 games, the same as leaders Bayern Munich.
Gulacsi has represented Hungary 31 times. He served his apprenticeship without complaint in England and is bearing the fruits now. Dominant in his penalty area with good reflexes and good distribution, Gulacsi is a firm fan favourite. Those fans will be even happier now he has signed a new contract with the club through to September 2023. He is 29 years of age now and probably in his prime as a goalkeeper. He has the experience in which the young defenders in front of him can rely on for help and reassurance.
One That Got Away?
So, should Liverpool fans think their club let one get away? Hindsight is a wonderful thing and the reasons why decisions were made in the past are often forgotten or overlooked. Football clubs make such decisions on a daily basis and you have to move on. That does not mean clubs will not occasionally review their policies.
Yet with the number of players that pass through a modern football club, playing the ‘what if’ game could be a full-time occupation. An unnecessarily painful one at times too. Chelsea fans contemplating what if on Mo Salah and Kevin De Bruyne springs to mind.
Besides, sometimes a club just suits the player. Peter Gulacsi ultimately reached the top of his profession through hard work and desire. Liverpool released him when still young in goalkeeping terms and he would have continued to improve and mature as a goalkeeper.
Liverpool now have arguably the best keeper in the world at this moment in Alisson but his absence gave Adrian his chance, a chance Gulacsi never had while at Anfield. Given that opportunity, his career may have moved in a different direction. However, as fans life is easier when we just look at the present and contemplate the future.
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