Liverpool defender Giovanni Leoni says social media images showing an exaggerated transformation of his physique were created using artificial intelligence, although he has spent 10 months working in the gym during his recovery from a cruciate ligament injury.
The 19-year-old was stretchered off in September on his Liverpool debut against Southampton, having joined the club from Parma for £26 million. He is now nearing a return to full training.
Leoni has used his time on the sidelines to build the strength needed for English football. His physical progress attracted attention online, but some of the images shared of the centre-back significantly overstated the changes.
The former Parma player said he had been forced to reassure friends that the pictures were not genuine.
“My friends keep sending it to me,” Leoni said on Liverpool’s YouTube channel. “I have to tell them, ‘It’s AI.’ Of course, I’ve been in the gym for 10 months, but that’s AI – you can tell.”
Conor Bradley, who was sitting alongside him, responded: “They’re not AI, mate.”
The pair have developed a close relationship while recovering from serious injuries at the same time. Bradley, the Northern Ireland captain, suffered a knee injury in January, while Leoni has been rehabilitating the problem sustained on his Liverpool debut.
“Since he got injured, we’ve been together a lot because of rehabilitation,” Leoni said. “We have a good relationship, and we get to know each other better every day. I’m really happy to have such a good relationship with him.”
Liverpool’s centre-back group has also changed during Leoni’s absence. Jaguelka joined from Rennes, Araujo arrived on loan from Barcelona and Konate joined Real Madrid after his contract expired this summer.
Leoni is keen to make an impression on new manager Arne Slot after an injury-disrupted first season at Liverpool. His debut came in the League Cup and lasted 81 minutes before he was forced off, but he remains positive about the occasion.
“That was my first time playing at Anfield, in front of my fans and teammates,” he said. “I played a good game, and then I suffered that injury. Looking back, I can say I was happy to make my debut in front of the fans.”
He also thanked supporters for the messages he received after the injury and explained why he remained at Liverpool throughout his rehabilitation.
“After that, I received many messages and a lot of support from the fans,” Leoni said. “I just want to say thank you to everyone. From day one until now, I have stayed here because I wanted to complete my rehabilitation with the physiotherapists here.
“In terms of relationships and learning English, it was also the best choice, so I decided to stay with my Liverpool teammates.”
