In 2015, Peter Gulacsi moved to Bundesliga to become one of the tournament’s best goalkeepers. But in the period between 2008 and 2013, the Hungarian had hopes of making it big in the Premier League for Liverpool.
The RB Leipzig man recently shared stories from his time at Anfield. The custodian was on Liverpool’s books since 2008 and kept on hustling to be the first choice keeper until 2013, when the Reds shipped him away to RB Salzburg. In the meantime, Gulacsi plied his trade for several clubs on loan starting from Tranmere Rovers, Hereford United and Hull City.
Speaking about his determination to be the starter at Liverpool, Gulacsi told SPOX:
“When you see how Wojciech Szczesny at Arsenal or David de Gea at Atletico got their chances and took them, it was never completely out of the question for me.
“As a third goalkeeper, though, it only works if something happens to the two in front of you, whatever it may be. I wasn’t hoping for them to get injured, of course. Pepe was playing at a high level, it was very difficult to get past him.
“On top of that, in England, they usually go for older, experienced goalkeepers as number two. It was difficult to move up in the rankings.”
The 31-year-old then opened up on how Brendan Rodgers dealt with the entire situation and allowed him to move away from Anfield in search of game time.
That decision from the then Liverpool coach saw Gulacsi join RB Salzburg later and helped him realize his potential with Leipzig and the Hungary national team.
“After the season, my advisor at the time spoke to Rodgers and said: ‘Peter is now 23 and going into the last year of his contract.
There are exactly three paths for him: he leaves the club and becomes the clear number one somewhere, he extends the contract and is loaned out for two years or the contract is extended and he becomes Liverpool’s permanent number two.’
Now at 31, Gulacsi has already created a legacy in Leipzig. His family is well settled as they are staying for the last six years. But he accepts that nothing can signify a move elsewhere.
“On the other hand, you can never rule anything out in football, it often happens very quickly. That’s why I don’t want to promise anything definitive now,”
he added.
