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What's the story?
Scottish Premier League side Kilmarnock have signed Romanian goalkeeper Laurențiu Brănescu on a season-long loan from Italian champions Juventus.
In case you didn't know...
Brănescu is a highly rated young keeper on the books at Juventus. He has also spent time on loan with clubs in Cyprus, Croatia, Lithuania, Hungary and Romania, as well as in the Serie B. Brănescu has also been capped at the U-21 level by Romania.
The 25-year-old will link up with Angelo Alessio, who was previously assistant manager at Juventus.
The heart of the matter
Kilmarnock's new manager looks to have used his contacts at his former club to pull off a coup. Alessio knows Brănescu well and evidently believes he has what it takes to succeed as Kilmarnock's No. 1.
For his part, Brănescu feels a loan spell with the Rugby Park side is 'ideal', and is hoping the experience will improve him as a player.
Having previously acted as an understudy to Italian legend Gianluigi Buffon, the Romanian has 'learned a lot' from his mentor, but feels he needs more game time to progress further.
What's next?
Brănescu has a wealth of experience behind him, having played in plenty of countries across the world during his many loan spells. He may have some adapting to do when it comes to the famously physical style of Scottish football, but at 6'4" in height, Brănescu should be able to handle the rigours that come with playing in the Scottish Premier League.
The 25-year-old could make his debut this Thursday night when Kilmarnock take on Welsh side Connah's Quay Nomads in a Europa League qualifier in Rhyl.
It's a game against far lower-ranked opposition, so it could be a gentle introduction to Scottish football for the loanee. But a mistake or a poor performance could lead to extra criticism and get the Romanian's career off to a disastrous start.
