Italy youngster Leoni on ACL recovery and help from van Dijk: ‘Captain’s charisma’ | OneFootball

Italy youngster Giovanni Leoni has provided an in-depth update on his recovery from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury that has kept him out of action for the majority of the season, and has revealed that he is in constant contact with Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk, who suffered the same set-back a few years ago.

Leoni gives ACL update: ‘The strongest pain I’ve ever felt in my life’

Leoni, who joined Liverpool in a €35m deal from Parma over the summer, is three-and-a-half months into his recovery process after rupturing his ACL in cruel fashion towards the end of his first ever appearance for his new side.

“As soon as I hit the ground, I said to my teammate Conor Bradley: ‘I’ve done my cruciate’. It had never happened to me before, but it was a strange feeling. I thought: ‘That’s it, full stop’. It was a big, strong pain, the strongest I’ve ever felt in my life,” Leoni said in a recent interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport.

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 23: Giovanni Leoni of Liverpool receives medical treatment to an injury before being substituted off during the Carabao Cup Third Round match between Liverpool and Southampton at Anfield on September 23, 2025 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Leoni was asked how he dealt with the news on a mental level in the days immediately after his injury, and whether he ever thought that the injury wouldn’t have happened had he stayed at Parma.

“No, I never thought that,” he replied. I believe that destiny has led me here and that life will always throw things at you. I tell myself that this has happened to make me stronger.”

Leoni was able to give an update on how his recovery process has been so far and the workload that he is currently able to take on.

“I can’t look at the long term, I’m only thinking about training in my mind. Setting long-term goals can be an issue if you get a set-back.

“Now the hardest part is over,” he continued. “I’m doing my rehab, in the pool, in the gym. For a footballer, an injury like this can be the most difficult part of your career, but now I just want to train my mind to come back stronger than before. I think that’s the key. A lot of the work is in your head.”

Leoni revealed that he is working on his mindset with specialists on a regular basis: “For two years I’ve been working with Cristian Viola, a ‘mental coach’. I go to him or call him every Thursday. We visualise goals, we work on breathing, on the mental focus that you need in games.

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 23: Giovanni Leoni of Liverpool controls the ball whilst under pressure from Leo Scienza of Southampton during the Carabao Cup Third Round match between Liverpool and Southampton at Anfield on September 23, 2025 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images)

“I’ve learned that players who always breathe through their mouth during matches can expend unnecessary energy. Breathing through your nose and out through your mouth helps you to be more relaxed.”

Leoni also revealed that Virgil van Dijk has been on hand to lend advice during the injury recovery process.

When asked who has the loudest voice in the Liverpool dressing room, Leoni said: “Virgil. He has a captain’s charisma. He called me straight after the injury. I had surgery done by the same surgeon who operated on him, so we’re talking to each other a lot now.”