Arthur Melo, who is currently on loan at Liverpool from Juventus, reflected on his difficult 2022 and growth across the year.
The 26-year-old Brazilian midfielder did not impress Massimiliano Allegri in the second half of last season and was sent to the Reds on a loan deal with a buy option attached in the summer. His time in England has not started particularly well and he’s been sidelined since October after suffering a thigh injury that required surgery.
Writing on his Instagram page, Arthur reflected on his year and commented on the various difficulties he faced.
“2022 was the most difficult year of my life! A complicated football year, with so many injuries, so much criticism that I had to listen to in silence, without even having the chance to expose the truth, what was really going on, so many sleepless nights because of the physical pain.
“So many days in the hospital, the anguish of waiting for the medical report in the hope that it was not something that could prevent me from doing what I love most, playing football.
“The year I most demanded to evolve as a football player to achieve my goals. The year 2022 was the year I did the most off the pitch, the year I trained the most, the year I tried the hardest, and the year I had the most problems on the field.
“A year with a lot of emotional turmoil in my personal life, a year in which the more I fought, the more things went off the rails! And most importantly… 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 give thanks for the year 2022, for all the learning, a difficult year, a difficult stage. But it was a year that taught me a lot and that I will carry with me for the next years of my life. Thank you 2022 and let 2023 come! Be strong, have faith.”
Arthur has only made a single appearance for Liverpool since his arrival in the summer, playing 13 minutes of their Champions League loss to Napoli. He’s expected to return later this month and will be desperate to take to the pitch for the Reds in the second half of this season. His loan move contains a €37.5m buy option.