Hull City couldn't have predicted success after disastrous end to Liverpool deal | OneFootball

Peter Gulacsi's loan spell at the MKM Stadium couldn't have ended any worse

Despite joining on loan from Premier League powerhouses Liverpool in the summer of 2011, not many Hull City supporters would have predicted that, even 14 years later, Hungarian goalkeeper Péter Gulácsi would remain as one of European football's top-performing shot-stoppers.

After the sale of Boaz Myhill to West Bromwich Albion in the summer of 2010 for a fee in excess of £1m after suffering relegation back to the Championship amid mass financial difficulties, the goalkeeping position in East Yorkshire was one which Nigel Pearson made plenty of changes to in such a short period of time.

However, one thing for sure, in hindsight, is that the former Leicester City boss clearly had an eye for a high-potential figure between the sticks, with eventually established Premier League goalkeepers in the form of Vito Mannone and Brad Guzan enjoying fruitful loan spells at the MKM Stadium in the 2010/11 season, as an upturn in form and off-pitch circumstances led the Tigers to an 11th-place finish.

However, the conclusion of such deals meant that heading into the 2011/12 season, Pearson needed to address his options between the sticks, doing just that by acquiring Gulacsi on a season-long loan from Anfield, as well as the addition of former Bristol City keeper, Adriano Basso on a short-term basis.

The Hungarian's time in HU3 was extremely mixed to say the least, but based off his last-ever showing in Black and Amber, you'd have been hard-pressed to see many City fans who could have foreseen his eventual career trajectory.

Peter Gulacsi's Hull City loan spell ended in disastrous fashion

After making the substitutes' bench on a handful of occasions on Merseyside and previous loan spells with Hereford United and Tranmere Rovers in the lower reaches of the EFL, Gulacsi's first experience of second tier football came on the opening night of the 11/12 season in a late defeat to newly-relegated Blackpool on home turf, with his first clean sheet coming the following week courtesy of a 1-0 away win at Ipswich Town.

However, the Reds loanee would play just one minute of football between late August and early November, being dropped from the side after shipping four goals away at Leeds United, with his next start coming in a 2-0 defeat to eventual promotion-winners, West Ham, in what would be Pearson's last game in charge before returning to the King Power Stadium.

Gulacsi's form did somewhat improve under Nick Barmby, keeping back-to-back clean sheets against Coventry City and Millwall, as well as providing an assist in the 2-0 win over the Lions, before his time with Hull came to an abrupt and disastrous end against Burnley at Turf Moor.

With 34 minutes on the clock, a wind-backed Lee Grant goal-kick was headed back to his opposite number by Jack Hobbs, with the Budapest-born man failing to grasp the ball, presenting Martin Paterson with a simple finish, before suffering a knee injury eight minutes later.

This saw Barmby re-sign Mannone on loan in January 2012, and Gulasci would eventually be recalled by Liverpool three months later after being demoted to the Tigers bench amid a goalkeeping crisis at Anfield, which saw him named on the bench for Kenny Dalgish's side's Merseyside Derby success over Everton in the FA Cup semi-final.

Peter Gulacsi has become an established top-level goalkeeper at RB Leipzig

In the years which have followed, the 58-time international has established himself as a top-level goalkeeper on the continent, which began during a fruitful two-year stint at RB Salzburg, before he joined RB Leipzig for a reported £3m in 2015.

However, since 'Die Roten Bullen's maiden venture into the Bundesliga in 2017, Gulacsi has been an ever-present at the Red Bull Arena, as the club have failed to finish below sixth in the German top flight since their promotion, as well as enjoying relative success in the UEFA Champions League.

The experienced keeper was named in the division's Team of the Season back in 2018/19 after accumulating 16 clean sheets in 33 Bundesliga appearances, as well as being named as the Hungarian Player of the Year in 2018 and 2019 for his array of strong performances, as well as becoming the first player from his country to reach the semi-finals of the prestigious European competition, before his side were defeated by PSG.

Gulacsi was named as club captain following Marcel Sabitzer's departure in 2021, and is now currently vice-captain behind his compatriot, Willi Orban, as he continues to be a key asset to Marco Rose's side, despite a season of mixed fortunes in the league and a disappointing Champions League campaign.

Last May, it was confirmed that the 34-year-old, who has become synonymous with the German side, extended his contract until May 2026, having made over 330 appearances for the club, winning the DFB Pokal on two occasions thus far.

It's clear how well-respected Gulacsi has become in the modern game for his longevity in East Germany alongside his ability, although not many who were among the 15,071 crowd at Burnley on New Year's Eve 2011 could have predicted this outcome.