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Date of Birth: Wednesday, December 1, 1982
Birth Place: Brazil
Height: 191cm
Position: Goalkeeper
Former Clubs/Teams: Palmeiras

Biography

Diego Cavalieri is a goalkeeper for Liverpool in the English Premier League. He has yet to be called up to represent his homeland, Brazil, but once he has established himself as the first-choice ‘keeper in a European team, that is likely to change. Diego’s height allows him to cover more of the goal than other goalies, and he has a habit of being able to get to shots that look goal-bound. He is currently used as back-up to first-choice Pepe Reina, but has impressed in the few games he has played.

Childhood

Cavalieri was born on 1st December 1982 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. His family are descended from Italians, who came over in search of riches in the 18 and 1900s. Because of his heritage, he qualifies for an Italian passport, which made his transition to Europe much simpler as there are no work permit requirements.

Early Career

Diego was signed up to the Palmeiras youth academy from an early age, but was only given a full professional contract when he was twenty years old. He was taken into the first team squad, but was there as the third-choice goalkeeper. He made his debut in June 2002, in the first round of a Brazilian cup competition, but was left to watch from the sidelines and learn from the more experienced keepers around him.

As he gained in experience he was moved up to reserve goalkeeper, playing 3 league games when the first-choice keeper was injured in 2004, when he was 22 years old. He only started to make a name for himself in 2006, when he took an opportunity to play with both hands – impressing the boss so much with his command of the box and use of the ball that he was given an extended run in the team. He played every game in the 2007 season for Palmeiras, one of the biggest teams in the Brazilian league, and was watched avidly by scouts from all over the world.

Current Club

On 11th July 2008, Diego Cavalieri signed terms with Liverpool football club, becoming the back-up to Spanish goalkeeper Pepe Reina. Diego took the number 1 shirt, and is intent on getting himself in the first-team ahead of Reina. He has played a number of games in the Carling Cup and Champions League, including playing against PSV in Liverpool’s 3-1 victory.

International

Diego Cavalieri has high hopes of playing for the Brazilian national side – he was overlooked by the Brazilian FA when he was playing in Brazil because of coach Dunga’s preference for more experienced ‘keepers such as Dida. Diego needs to be getting first-team football in order to push himself to the top of the pile.