Liverpool’s Lucas Leiva admitted that he was worried that supporters would forget about him during his time on the physio table after a thigh injury.
But the Brazilian was surprised to receive warm messages of support from around the world and says they gave him the confidence to persist with rehabilitation.
Lucas told the club’s official website: “Ever since my first injury, the fans have been very important to me.
“When you don’t play, you think that people might forget about you but I think it has been completely the opposite.
“People send me nice messages and they say that they really miss me. So this has given me the confidence to come back.
“The players, on a daily basis, have really supported me. I remember when Luis scored and he had a message for me on his shirt. These are the small things that really mean a lot and they keep you going. Now it’s the time for me to repay that and help them.
“Brendan Rodgers has been very good to me since my first day. When he arrived I was just recovering from the knee injury, so he gave me a lot of confidence and was always very clear about his plans for me.
“He has tried to keep me very calm and not tried to rush me, in terms of my rehabilitation.”
