Renan Rocha

Renan Nelson Rocha is a professional Brazilian football player who has earned his professional stripes as a goalkeeper at the highest level. Having started his playing career at the youth ranks of Esporte Clube XV de Piracicaba, Rocha got out of his home town and moved into the Santos first team as the third goalkeeper.

Signing up in 2001, Rocha was more interested in playing regularly and moved to Rio Branco Esporte Clube in the lower divisions of the league. In three seasons, he slowly worked his way through the team and got into the first team as a regular. By 2004, Rocha had earned his place as the first team goalkeeper at Rio Branco, a club that was about to lose its most prized asset.

Atletico Paranaense came in, in 2004, and took Rocha into their squad. Realising that he required a lot more work, Atletico Paranaense kept him in the third goalkeeper’s position, giving Rocha the odd game every now and then. In 2007, he was sent out to Toledo Colonia Work, on loan, before returning to Atletico the same year. In 2010, he was again sent out on loan, this time to Esporte Clube Vitoria, for another loan spell.

Rocha didn’t see too much action on either loan spell and returned to his substitute-bench spot after Paranaense signed Testao as their number one goalkeeper.