Emre Can on His Rapid Return from Injury

Liverpool needed an extra push in the second leg of the Europa League semi-final at Anfield, which Emre Can duly provided. His performance was astonishing given that it was his first appearance since Liverpool defeated Borussia Dortmund in a thrilling game in the previous round. It felt far worse than losing Jordan Henderson, because with all due respect to the captain, Can is the club's most important component in central midfield.

You might not discover the secrets to Emre Can's wondrous hair, but the 22-year-old midfielder did reveal how he managed to recover so quickly from an ankle ligament injury in time for Thursday's convincing victory over Villarreal.

"I put in a lot of work," the former Bayer Leverkusen midfielder told the Echo. "I didn't have one day off in three weeks. Every day I was at Melwood for seven or eight hours, doing everything I could to get fit for this game. I am so happy that I could play. I only found earlier in the day that I would be starting. The manager spoke with me and asked me if I was fit. I told him I was ready. The injury wasn't for long, it was only out for three weeks. I'd played 45 games before that this season. I'm fit and I have no pain.

"It was a wonderful night at Anfield. Our fans were incredible. The fans helped us so much and made it more difficult for Villarreal. It was unbelievable. As players, staff and supporters, we were all together and we deserved to go through to the final. Jurgen Klopp has changed a lot of things. You can see how we press the game. That's a big factor - our counter-pressing.

"Every manager has a different style and this one works well for us. We have a lot of belief. Sevilla have won the last two finals but if we play to the level that we can then we will win the game. There's a big reward. We want to win the trophy and we want to play in the Champions League next season."

It's unfortunate that there isn't an accompanying training montage of some form to venerate and watch repeatedly in wonder, but the player's determination and hunger cannot be questioned. He fought to get back on the pitch and made a difference. It's almost certain that Jürgen Klopp will use his compatriot sparingly until the final in full knowledge that Liverpool are a far less imposing prospect without him.