‘Miraculous’: Sold by Leeds, Marco Silvestri praised after first top flight game since 2014

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Former Leeds United goalkeeper wins praise after Serie A return.

It has not been an easy season for Marco Silvestri since leaving Leeds United.

Silvestri was told he could leave last summer after the club signed Felix Wiedwald, and nobody has done particularly well out of it.

Wiedwald has flamed out badly at Leeds and might even now be third choice behind Bailey Peacock-Farrell and Andy Lonergan, two goalkeepers who are yet to convince themselves.

Silvestri signed with Italian top flight side Hellas Verona, but has spent the season on the bench.

He featured in the Coppa Italia earlier in the season and was briefly a hero after playing a role in a penalty shootout win, and only made his Serie A return last night.

It was Silvestri’s first game in Serie A since 2014, when he featured briefly on loan at Massimo Cellino’s former club Cagliari.

Last night following a suspension to first choice Nicolas Andrade, Silvestri stepped in.

The result was not good, Verona lost 3-0 away to minnows Benevento, but Silvestri’s individual display was praised by the Italian media.

Tuttomercatoweb gave him the highest individual performance rating of any Verona player, writing: “Nothing can [be done] on the goals of Benevento, miraculous on several occasions.”

Eurosport Italia also praised Silvestri’s contribution, assessing him as the best player on the pitch, adding: “Everything and even more. At least 7/8 decisive interventions, especially in the first twenty minutes of the match.

“He has not played in Serie A since 2014 but he is an absolute protagonist and certainly not inferior to Nicolas.”

It certainly seems as though he has been wasted on the bench all season, although that is a matter and a luxury for Verona to decide and assess first hand.

Leeds had their chance with the former Italy under-21 international, and while he was not perfect, he was far better than Felix Wiedwald has proved to be, and the latest praise coming his way is further illustration of how the Whites’ squad has gone backwards this season.