Giovanni Leoni made immediate confession to Conor Bradley after tearing ACL

Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version from Liverpool.com or go back to LFC Live.

After joining the club from Parma for $35 million, the young centre-back was immediately handed a cruel injury blow.In his debut for the Reds against Southampton in the EFL Cup, the defender ruptured his Anterior Cruciate Ligament, one of three main ligaments in the knee.The ACL is one of the most devastating injuries to pick up in soccer, as the issue usually requires surgery and a long recovery period before players can return to full fitness once again.For Leoni, a player with such potential and promise, it was the cruelest of fates as he was left sidelined for the full season, forced to watch on as the rest of the team struggled without him, unable to make an impact in any way.The recovery time for the Italian is expected to be around a year, and with the 12 months almost up, he is starting to close in on a return to action.The memory of the injury itself is still there, though, as Leoni admitted that he was certain of the ACL injury before there was any diagnosis from the medical team.Speaking to the Liverpool media team, he said: "That night, when I had the injury, I was close to Conor Bradley and I told him, ‘This is ACL, 100 percent.’ The pain is the strongest pain I’ve ever felt.”“Of course, when I had that moment in the first game, in my debut, I said, ‘Why [did this happen] to me?’ But I don’t think that is the best thing to say to yourself,” Leoni added.“So I tried to change mind and to say, ‘OK, it’s happening to me so I have to do something to become better than before.’ This was the best thing to do for me.”Liverpool center-back Giovanni Leoni.(Image: Ed Sykes/Sportsphoto/Allstar Via Getty Images)For many players, the battle isn't just the pain, but the mental impact of being isolated from the group and unable to contribute on the pitch.After breaking through the pain barrier physically and mentally, there is finally some light at the end of the tunnel. Leoni is back in training, on an individual basis at the moment, but it's a step closer to stepping onto the hallowed turf once again.“Now I feel really good,” Leoni added.

“After ten months, I’m back on the pitch alone. But I feel really good, in the last weeks, I felt really good on the pitch.“The knee is looking good and I'm feeling the knee really good, so I can’t wait to be back with the team as soon as possible and then come back to play games in front of the fans.“Now I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

I’m not with the team, but I think in a short time now I can be back with the team. Then we will see how the knee will respond and how I will feel to be back playing games.”Not only is it a huge personal boost for the defender, but his return is timely for Liverpool too.