Liverpool Midfielder Admits Playing Through “screaming Pain” For 4 Months – Liverpool FC

Luca Stephenson‘s loan spells at Dundee United can so far be deemed a resounding success, but they haven’t been without difficulty for the Liverpool youngster.

A versatile academy player, Stephenson headed up to Scotland at the start of last season and made such an impact that he was named Dundee United’s young player of the year.

This season, he has gone back on loan to the Tangerines after his last campaign ended in April due to a double hernia surgery.

Since October 2024, he had been struggling with the issue and has now spoken candidly about the “screaming pain” induced by the injury.

“You almost forget what it’s like to feel 100 percent fit,” Stephenson told the Courier.

“Last year I didn’t feel that an awful lot. This season, I feel as sharp as I’ve ever been. I played on a lot of medication last year.

“I didn’t train much during the week. I would do Thursday and Friday sessions then play on a Saturday. It was a lot of tablets on the Friday and Saturdays building up to the matches.

“The running wasn’t so bad, it was more the ball striking; I couldn’t really kick the ball beyond five yards or 10 yards without getting a screaming pain in my groin to the abdomen area, which isn’t great as a footballer.

“The medication eased it but when you got 70 to 75 minutes and that wore off, you were just back in square one again.”

When Stephenson eventually went under the knife, manager Jim Goodwin said: “Luca has been playing with a double hernia for about the last four months.

“Liverpool have been brilliant and have allowed Luca to manage it himself. Credit to him for the resilience and determination he has shown in order to play through the pain barrier for the club.”

Back in the wars but no long-term worries

Stephenson has started each of Dundee United’s eight domestic games this season, playing on the right and scoring twice – both against Hibs in September.

His most recent outing finished in 3-1 win over St Mirren, with Stephenson emerging battle-scarred from the encounter.

“It was (Mark) O’Hara’s knee and shoulder in one motion that initially hit me,” the 22-year-old recalled after taking a blow to the head.

“That’s from what I could see on the video, because at the time it was all a blur.

“Then there was a second incident later in the game. My nose had kind of healed because we stuffed so much stuff up there – and I got the ball in the face from a cross!

“It just blew it all up again and made it quite hard to breathe.”

As well as being a technically proficient footballer, Stephenson clearly has the fight in him to make it at Scottish Premiership level as a minimum.

Liverpool are also aware of his talent, evidenced by the new contract offered to and signed by Stephenson before he left on loan in the summer.

Swansea, Cardiff, Reading and Rotherham were all interested in him and Aberdeen had considered a permanent offer, but Stephenson chose another stint at Tannadice – a wise decision it would seem.