Federico Chiesa‘s unlikely winner became the story of Liverpool’s Premier League opener, and it was striking that he celebrated with two of the lesser-known staff.

“It took me one year to score in the Premier League, but better late never!” was Chiesa’s reaction when speaking after Liverpool’s 4-2 win over Bournemouth.

The Italian came off the bench to secure victory after seeing the Reds let a two-goal lead slip, with his volley making it 3-2 in the 88th minute.

Chiesa’s goal has led to calls for him to stay beyond the summer, having previously been expected to return to Serie A with a number of clubs interested.

While it remains to be seen whether the No. 14 indeed remains at Anfield or this will instead be a perfect sign-off, but there is clearly more to his story than many appreciate.

That showed as Chiesa made a beeline to first-team doctor Amit Pannu and psychologist Lee Richardson at full-time, with the trio sharing an embrace.

It spoke of the hours put in behind the scenes to not only allow the 27-year-old to adjust to the physical demands following his £10 million move from Juventus, but also the support he required mentally.

Speaking to Sky Italia after Liverpool’s win, Chiesa said: “This goal repays me for the work I’ve done.

“Last year I arrived in difficult conditions, I hadn’t trained at Juve and I arrived here struggling, with a rhythm on another level.

“I don’t know why this decision was made, but not training for a month penalised me in my journey at Anfield.”

Pannu arrived at Liverpool last summer, having previously held roles at Blackburn and then Derby after over a decade working in rugby.

Meanwhile Richardson was appointed in 2019 and has been increasingly influential stationed at his office at the AXA Training Centre, and more often than not is seen working with the coaching staff on the outdoor pitches.

Chiesa’s integration was clearly a tough one to navigate, requiring a bespoke fitness programme which found him at odds with the demands of Liverpool’s schedule.

But if he is set to stay on Merseyside this season it will be due to the hard work of the forward himself along with that of staff such as Pannu and Richardson, who are just as important as those seen prominently on matchdays.