Giovanni Leoni makes 'strongest pain' admission and fresh Liverpool vow after ACL injury nightmare

Giovanni Leoni

Giovanni Leoni has opened up on the devastation of his anterior cruciate ligament tear, revealing it was "strongest pain" he had ever felt in his life.

But the youngster has also vowed to come back stronger at Liverpool.

Leoni turned in an assured performance in a 2-1 win over Southampton in the Carabao Cup back in September but was forced off with the ACL injury in the closing stages, effectively ruining his maiden term at Anfield in the process.

The teenage defender is not expected back until next season but as he continues his rehabilitation process, Leoni, a £26m capture from Parma in August, says he will return as a better player.

Leoni

Yes, as soon as I hit the ground, I said to Conor Bradley, my team-mate: 'I've done my cruciate,'"

"It had never happened to me [before] but it was a strange feeling, I thought: 'That's it, period'. A great, strong pain, the strongest pain I have felt in life.

"No, I never thought that [I should have stayed at Parma], just as I didn't think I was injured because someone wants me badly.

“I believe that life reserves certain things and destiny has led me to this. To myself, I say: 'It must have happened to make me stronger'.

"I can't look at the long term, I only think about training my mind. I am determined to look at the day itself, to do what makes me feel good and take care of the recovery.

“Setting long-term goals means having new problems, in case of slowdowns [with the recovery].

“Now the hardest part is over. I'm doing rehab, I'm in the swimming pool, the gym.

“For a footballer, an injury like this can be the most difficult moment of his career but now I just want to train my head to come back stronger than before.

“I think that's the key thing: the head can do most of the work."

Leoni's signing was confirmed on August 15, just hours before the Reds kicked off their Premier League campaign at home to Bournemouth, and the Italian centre-back says he didn't need to think long once the champions' interest became more concrete in the summer transfer window.

Leoni added: "When a team like Liverpool calls you, you find it hard not to look at them with different eyes. I must say that every day I believe that the Premier League was the best choice, I had the support and affection of my team-mates.

“On TV you ask yourself: 'Who knows what they will be like?' Then you get to know them and discover that they are normal people.

“Technically they are almost all monsters, they never lift the ball an inch and, if they do, they apologise to you.”

"Virgil van Dijk was the player I was inspired by. Szoboszlai has a football [style] that I had never seen before.

“Salah is incredible for how he prepares his body during the week, he is always one of the first to arrive, he recovers, he is obsessed.”

"Virgil, he has the charisma of a captain. After the injury he called me immediately. I had surgery by the surgeon who [operated on] him and now we are talking to each other."

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