Alex Oxlade Chamberlain Liverpool
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s tenure at Liverpool was marked by significant achievements and unfortunate injuries. Having joined from Arsenal for £35 million, he spent six years at Anfield, winning numerous major honours under Jurgen Klopp. However, his time was marred by injuries, most notably the ACL injury sustained during the Champions League semi-final against Roma in 2018. Despite this, Oxlade-Chamberlain remains puzzled by the persistent perception of him being injury-prone.
Oxlade-Chamberlain said: “The whole injury misconception thing has haunted me for years. When I did my ACL at Liverpool, that was in 2018. I can remember going into interviews in 2021, and people still asking me about my ACL. I always felt like whenever I got injured, it was always a bad one. I didn’t get many hamstring injuries or anything like that – it was always a knee (injury) that kept me out for a spell of time. They always seem to happen when I was flying. At that point (in 2018), I was really doing well, so when I got the injury, it was a bigger story. When you do a big knee (injury) other things start happening, and you have to adapt.”
Oxlade-Chamberlain’s career began at a young age, making his debut for Southampton at just 16 and moving to Arsenal less than 18 months later. He earned his England senior debut at 18. In a recent appearance on the Fozcast podcast with Ben Foster, he discussed the challenges young players face when breaking into the first team, using former Liverpool teammate Curtis Jones as an example of success.
Oxlade-Chamberlain said: “A big thing for young players when they break into the first team, which is quite daunting, is that your character gets tested early. Having that respect for your older team-mates to listen to, but also having that arrogance and confidence, is crucial. The last example I can remember that did it well was Curtis Jones. When he first came into the Liverpool team, we all knew what Curt was like with the young boys – he was confident, the leader of the group. When he came into the first team, we had players like Jordan Henderson and James Milner, but he (Curtis) still had that about him. When we trained, he still had that confidence to try a stepover.”
Oxlade-Chamberlain emphasized the importance of character and confidence for young players entering the first team. He praised Curtis Jones for his ability to maintain confidence and adapt to the challenges of playing alongside seasoned professionals like Jordan Henderson and James Milner. Jones’ journey serves as a model for aspiring footballers aiming to make their mark at the highest level.
About The Author
