Arthur on 2022: The more I fought the more things went off track

Liverpool midfielder Arthur Melo has looked back at a difficult 2022.

Arthur signed for the Reds on deadline day in the summer on loan from Juventus. Liverpool paid a loan fee of £4m and have the option to permanently buy him for about £33m.

However, the Brazilian has only managed 13 minutes of football for the Reds after suffering a serious muscle injury. He had surgery back in October with the initial timeframe on his recovery ruling him out until early 2023.

Taking to Instagram on Sunday night, the Liverpool midfielder has spoken out about how tough 2022 was for him.

He wrote: “2022 the hardest year of my life! A complicated football year, with many injuries, many criticisms that I had to listen silently, without at least having the opportunity to expose the truth, what was really happening, many sleepless nights because of physical pain, many days inside from the hospital, the anguish of waiting for the medical report in hope that it wasn't something that could prevent me from doing what I love most, playing football.

“The year in which I took the most development as a football player to achieve my goals. 2022 was the year I dedicated the most off the field, trained the most, tried the most and was the year I had the most problems on the field.

“A year with a lot of emotional turbulence in my personal life, a year that the more I fought, the more things went off track! And the most important thing... 2022 was the year I grew the most as a person, as a son, as a boyfriend, as a friend, as an athlete!

“I just have to thank for the year 2022, for all the learnings, a difficult year, a difficult phase. But it was a year that taught me a lot of lessons and that I will carry to the next years of my life. Thank you 2022 and bring on 2023! Be Strong, Have Faith."