Giovanni Leoni says he chose to complete his rehabilitation from an ACL injury exclusively at Liverpool’s training base to strengthen his relationships at the club and improve his English. The Italian centre-back is expected back in full team training this month.
Leoni suffered the injury late in his debut for Liverpool against Southampton in the Carabao Cup in September 2025, just weeks after joining from Parma for around £26m. He had the option to return to Italy to recover in more familiar surroundings but decided to stay at Kirkby instead.
“I stayed here since the first day until now because I wanted to do the rehab with the physios here,” he told the club’s media. “Yeah, it was good for the relationships and for the learning of English. It was the best thing to do during that period, so I decided to stay with my team-mates in Liverpool for practice, for everything.”
The 19-year-old recalled the moment of injury. “I can say now, looking back, I’m glad I made my debut in front of my fans, and when I had my injury I was with Conor [Bradley] and I said: ‘This is an ACL, 100%’. And then the doctor came and I said the same thing to him because I could feel the pain and even the sound of the injury.”
Leoni thanked supporters for their messages during the past 12 months. He also praised fellow injured midfielder Federico Chiesa for helping him settle when he first arrived and couldn’t speak English, and spoke of his growing bond with Bradley, who is also working his way back from a long-term injury.
Sources
Written by PremClub News with the help of AI, using only facts from the reports listed on this page. How we rate stories · Editorial policy