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On Riccardo Calafiori’s arm there’s a tattoo featuring the words “never give up”.
For the 22-year-old Arsenal and Italy defender it is a reminder of just how close he came to his dreams of a career in football being ended before it had really started.
At the age of 16, Calafiori suffered a serious knee injury while playing in a Uefa Youth League match for AS Roma, rupturing all of the ligaments in one of his knees.
It was so bad he feared he even might struggle to walk, let alone kick a ball again.
“This was my first tattoo and it was for this reason,” he said.
“It was so tough. I was 16 and suddenly you start to think I can’t play football ever again.”
But Calafiori did return to the pitch and this summer realised a dream of playing in the Premier League as he joined the Gunners for £42m.
On Saturday’s Football Focus, he sits down with presenter and Arsenal fan Ronan Kemp to talk about how the move to the Gunners came about, learning English through Netflix and UK drill music, and give his thoughts on fish and chips.
‘No fear’ after recovery and advice from De Rossi
It may not have felt like it at the time, but that serious injury is what Calafiori credits for making him into the player he is today.
“You appreciate more small things and you grow up as a man,” he explained. “It helped me become a better player.
“I remember the first month I came back I was going into every duel like crazy, I had no fear any more.”
During his recovery he was visited in hospital regularly by Roma and Italy legend Daniele de Rossi, who also gave the teenage Calafiori lifts to his physio sessions.
Not only did Calafiori look up to De Rossi as player, having dreamed of playing alongside him when he was a child, but the two also became friends, with the latter to this day playing a key role in Calafiori’s career decisions.
“He is one of my friends and I always ask him about my biggest decisions and he always gives me good advice,” he added.
“I spoke to him about coming to Arsenal and he said ‘this one of the biggest opportunities for you to improve as a player’.”
