English Premier League: Liverpool’s key midfielder fully fit
Alberto Aquilani, who joined Liverpool last summer, from the Italian side Roma as a replacement for the Madrid bound Xabi Alonso had a poor first season for Liverpool. Aquilani’s injury troubles were well documented before his transfer to Liverpool, but regardless of such warnings Liverpool made an investment of 20 million pounds in the former Roma midfielder.
Aquilani started his career as a professional footballer at Roma in the historical city of Rome in Italy. Roma was Aquilani’s youth club as well. At the age of 16 in 2001, despite contract offers from clubs such as Arsenal and Chelsea, Aquilani choose to continue his career in Italy at Roma.
Aquilani’s debut for Roma in Serie A came against Torino in 2003 under Fabio Capello’s management. For the season which ended in the year 2004, Aquilani was loaned to Triestina F.C, so that the young Italian central midfielder could gain some experience.
After returning to Roma for the 2004-2005 season, Aquilani began playing more games for Roma. He also scored at the local derby against Lazio during this particular season at the club. In the 2005-2006 season, Aquilani was supposed to be the next big thing in Italian football. However, he failed to make consistent first team appearances as he sustained an injury at the start of the season.
Aquilani made his return to first team football for Roma at the end of the 2004-2005 season. In the 2007-2008 football season, Aquilani again suffered another injury during the month of October. The midfielder returned to fitness in January of 2008.
In the next season, Aquilani again got injured in a champions league tie against Chelsea at the start of the season. On 26th May in the year 2009, Aquilani signed a contract extension with Roma according to which he was supposed to stay at the Italian club till the year 2013. However, Liverpool signed him in the summer of 2009.
In his first season for Liverpool, Alberto Aquilani was expected to impress but he failed to do so because of extended injury problems related to his ankle. He featured 26 times for Liverpool in his debut season but none of these appearances lasted for 90 minutes because of his supposed injury problems.
Rafael Benitez, the Liverpool manager at the time, who had signed him, showed a lack of trust in the player as he mostly started Aquilani on the bench despite paying a hefty transfer sum for him. Recently, Liverpool’s new head of sports science and medicine, Peter Brukner told the clubs official TV channel that Alberto Aquilani’s ankle which was a problem for the player last year has healed perfectly now.
He also added that Alberto has been looking fit and sharp in training for Liverpool. He also stated that Liverpool’s fans will see the best of Aquilani in the next season which starts from 11th of August. Liverpool fans will be looking to Aquilani to display some of his special talent next season, as Roy Hodgson their new manager at the club is apparently short on transfer money and will need the present players at the club to perform to the best of their abilities.
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