The viral images that fooled his mates

Giovanni Leoni has had to deliver a reality check to his friends after AI-generated images of an exaggerated body transformation began circulating on social media. The 19-year-old Liverpool defender has been working hard in the gym throughout his rehabilitation from an ACL injury, and while the results have been real, the viral pictures were anything but.

The defender addressed it with typical good humour during an appearance on Liverpool's YouTube channel as part of their AXA partnership. "My friends always send it to me," Leoni said. "I had to say to them, 'This is AI.' Of course, I work in the gym for 10 months but this is AI, you can see." Sitting alongside him, fellow defender Conor Bradley was quick to wind him up, deadpanning: "They're not AI, mate."

A friendship built in the treatment room

There is something quietly moving about the bond that has grown between Leoni and Bradley during what has been a difficult period for both. Leoni suffered the cruellest of introductions to English football, stretchered off during his Reds debut against Southampton last September after just 81 minutes of his first appearance for the club. Bradley then suffered a serious knee issue in January, and the two have spent months rehabilitating side by side.

"Since his injury, we've been together a lot because of the rehab," Leoni explained. "We have a good relationship, and we know each other more and more, day by day. I'm really happy to have a good relationship with him." For a teenager who arrived from Parma for £26million and was immediately robbed of his chance to settle in on the pitch, that kind of companionship during recovery is no small thing.

Leoni has also shown a level of maturity that belies his age in how he has reflected on everything. Rather than dwell on the misfortune of picking up such a serious injury on debut, he has chosen to frame it differently. "It was my first game at Anfield with my fans, with my teammates. I played a good game and then I had that injury. Looking back, I can say I'm glad to have made my debut in front of my fans." He also revealed that the supporter response in the aftermath meant a great deal to him, adding: "After that, I received a lot of messages, a lot of support from the fans. Looking back, I can just say thank you to everyone."

What Leoni is returning to at Liverpool

The landscape at the club has shifted considerably since Leoni was stretchered off. Jeremy Jacquet has arrived from Rennes, Ronald Araujo has joined on loan from Barcelona, and Ibrahima Konate has departed for Real Madrid. The defensive picture looks quite different from the one Leoni walked into, and with new manager Andoni Iraola now at the helm, there are no guarantees for anyone in that backline.

Leoni chose to remain in Liverpool throughout his rehabilitation rather than return home, spending his recovery working with the club's physios and immersing himself in the environment. "I stayed here since the first day until now because I wanted to do the rehab with the physios here," he said. "Even for the relationships and for the English, it was the best thing to do in that period, so I decided to stay with my teammates in Liverpool." With a return to full training now within reach, how quickly he can force his way into Iraola's thinking will be one of the more intriguing subplots of the season ahead.