Although Liverpool enjoyed a largely positive 2023/24 season as they won the Carabao Cup and were in the hunt for two more trophies going into April, the past 12 months won’t be remembered with fondness for one Reds player.
Stefan Bajcetic had broken into Jurgen Klopp’s side in the campaign prior but was restricted to only three appearances last term as a long-term calf injury stalled the progress he had made in the first few months of 2023.
The 19-year-old opened up about the mental challenges of overcoming that setback in an interview with LFC’s official website, defiantly declaring that he’s come back all the stronger for having gone through it.
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The midfielder said: “[It’s been] really difficult, honestly – probably the hardest year I‘ve had so far, mentally and physically, but I got through it and it only made me stronger, both mentally and physically as well. I’m looking forward now to being back and enjoying what I’m doing.
“Just to go on the field every day is hard, in a way, because obviously you see your teammates play every day, every weekend and you want to be there. You feel like you should be there and you want to get that feeling of playing again, but you’re just not capable.
“It’s really hard, not being able to train regularly with the team, alone in the gym sometimes; it’s really tough but, like I said, it only makes you stronger.”
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Injuries are the bane of every footballer’s existence, and it was most unfortunate for Bajcetic that he’d suffered such a lengthy setback just as he’d started to establish himself at Liverpool.
Thankfully he’s now back fit and staking a claim for regular inclusion for the season ahead, having impressed off the bench in the 1-0 win over Real Betis on Friday night.
From the outside looking in, it’s impossible to comprehend just how much of a mental and physical toll that such a long injury absence must take on a player, and we can’t praise the Spaniard highly enough for having the strength of character to come through it at such a young age.
Everyone with Liverpool’s best interests at heart will be praying that Bajcetic’s fitness woes are behind him and that 2024/25 will be the campaign where he truly makes himself part of the first-team furniture after the promising taster that Klopp gave him in the German’s penultimate year in charge.
We can’t wait to see how he progresses during the season ahead, especially if he consistently reaches the standards that he showed upon his initial breakthrough just over 18 months ago!
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