Liverpool forward Fabio Borini was determined not to allow a dislocated shoulder to end an already frustrating first season at Anfield.
And, having now scored his first Premier League goal for the club, he hopes he can not only help fill the gap left by Luis Suarez - who is serving a 10-match ban - but still contribute when the Uruguay international eventually comes back. Borini returned from 10 weeks on the sidelines to come off the bench and score in the 6-0 hammering of Newcastle.
Having previously sat out three months with a broken ankle, the 22-year-old, who moved to Anfield having joined for £10million from Roma in the summer, said: "When I hurt my shoulder they said my season could be over but I fought back as I really needed to come back earlier. I took the minimum possible to get back training which was eight weeks instead of 12."
He added: "Some people probably didn't think I could make it but I fought back. It had been a long injury for me and a long wait to score in the Premier League. It's been hard.
"I can play a big part now not because Luis is suspended but because I am back fit. Whether Luis is available or not, we all need to focus on doing our jobs."
Next up for Liverpool is the Merseyside derby at Anfield and although injury robbed Borini the chance of appearing at Goodison Park in October, he is well aware of what to expect.
"Next weekend will be my first derby here," he told liverpoolfc.com. "But I've played in big derbies in Italy (Roma v Lazio) so I know the feeling. The atmosphere in those games was always very hot and I am sure here will be the same."
Borini was only on the pitch for 11 minutes with man of the match Philippe Coutinho on Saturday, but having also watched the Brazilian from the touchline, he was impressed with the 20-year-old's best performance for the club since joining from Inter Milan in January.
"Coutinho is such a great player," he added. "He's very clever and you can see he has played in Italy. He may be young but tactically he knows the game very well.
"You can see his intelligence when he's on the ball and he's exactly what we need."
Source: PA
