Giovanni Leoni: Adjusting his mindset after injury: I can already see the light at the end of the tunnel for my comeback.

Liverpool defender Giovanni Leoni said in an interview that he has gradually adjusted his mentality during the recovery process from his previous serious injury, and now he finally sees the light at the end of the tunnel for his return to the game.

Giovanni Leoni, from Italy, joined Liverpool last August and made his debut in the English League Cup match against Southampton in September. Unfortunately, he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in that game, thus missing the rest of the Premier League season.

Giovanni Leoni, now 19, said, "The moment I got injured in my debut, of course I asked myself why it had to be me? But then I realized that wasn't the best way to think. So I changed my mindset and told myself that since it had already happened, I had to use this time to make myself stronger than before the injury. That was the only thing I could do, and the right thing to do."

"This year has taught me a lot. I try to stay positive every day, even after experiencing many lows, because the first few months were really difficult. My routine was completely disrupted, and there were far more bad days than good ones. It's much better now, of course, but in the beginning, it was very difficult both physically and mentally."

Giovanni Leoni said, "After about three or four months, my recovery was going much better. I was able to walk, run, and train again. The physical difficulties gradually decreased, but the real challenge was the mental one. However, I always believed that as long as I maintained a positive attitude, everything would pass, and I would eventually become stronger than before. So, I always treated this injury as an opportunity to improve myself."

Looking forward to playing under Andoni Iraola

"Actually, I get along well with everyone, but I spend more time with Ektić, Bajczetić, and Connor Bradley because we did some rehabilitation training together before. In addition, Van Dijk has also been a great help to me."

Giovanni Leoni also said, "I feel really good now. After 10 months, I'm back on the pitch training alone. I've been getting better and better over the past few weeks. My knee is recovering very well, and I can't wait to get back into team training and play in front of the fans again."

“Now I can really see the light at the end of the tunnel. Although I haven’t fully rejoined the team for training yet, I believe I’ll be back soon. Then I’ll see how my knees react and how I feel when I return to competition.”

In addition, Giovanni Leoni shared, "Since the day I got injured, I've been dreaming every day about the moment I return to the court. Over the next two months, my anticipation will only grow stronger. Because, as I said, I've seen the light at the end of the tunnel, so I know I'm getting closer and closer to my comeback, and I'm really happy."

"After a year of injuries, I'm still a little nervous about standing in front of everyone again to compete, after all, it's been a year since I've had a formal competition."

Speaking about Liverpool's new manager Andoni Iraola, Giovanni Leoni said, "We've talked about injuries and rehabilitation, and we've also analyzed the style of play he wants the team to adopt. He's not only a great manager, but also a very good person."

“We can communicate with him easily and understand his football philosophy clearly. I can’t wait to play under his coaching.”

Image source: Internet