Riccardo Calafiori's journey from serious knee injury to the Premier League

On Riccardo Calafiori's arm there's a tattoo featuring the words "never give up".

For the 22-year-old Arsenal and Italy defender it is a reminder of just how close he came to his dreams of a career in football being ended before it had really started.

At the age of 16, Calafiori suffered a serious knee injury while playing in a Uefa Youth League match for AS Roma, rupturing all of the ligaments in one of his knees.

It was so bad he feared he even might struggle to walk, let alone kick a ball again.

"This was my first tattoo and it was for this reason," he said.

"It was so tough. I was 16 and suddenly you start to think I can't play football ever again."

But Calafiori did return to the pitch and this summer realised a dream of playing in the Premier League as he joined the Gunners for £42m.

On Saturday's Football Focus, he sits down with presenter and Arsenal fan Ronan Kemp to talk about how the move to the Gunners came about, learning English through Netflix and UK drill music, and give his thoughts on fish and chips.

It may not have felt like it at the time, but that serious injury is what Calafiori credits for making him into the player he is today.

"You appreciate more small things and you grow up as a man," he explained. "It helped me become a better player.

"I remember the first month I came back I was going into every duel like crazy, I had no fear any more."

During his recovery he was visited in hospital regularly by Roma and Italy legend Daniele de Rossi, who also gave the teenage Calafiori lifts to his physio sessions.

Not only did Calafiori look up to De Rossi as player, having dreamed of playing alongside him when he was a child, but the two also became friends, with the latter to this day playing a key role in Calafiori's career decisions.

"He is one of my friends and I always ask him about my biggest decisions and he always gives me good advice," he added.

"I spoke to him about coming to Arsenal and he said 'this one of the biggest opportunities for you to improve as a player'."

It took almost a full year for Calafiori to recover from injury but the long road to a career in football was complete in August 2020, when he made his full debut for Roma.

He made a total of 10 Serie A appearances for the Italians and also had a spell on loan at Genoa, before deciding to make a permanent move to Swiss side Basel in 2022.

"It was the best choice I ever made," said Calafiori. "[Moving abroad] you learn a lot as a player and a man.

"It was the first time I was living alone outside my country. You have to do all the things your own. If you have a bad day, you are alone.

"They gave me the chance to feel like a player for the first time. I felt important for this club."

Calafiori spent a season at Basel but, having been unable to establish himself at his first club Roma, he felt there was unfinished business back home and secured a move to Bologna.

"I wanted to prove to Serie A fans I was not the player who played there before, I wanted to prove them wrong," he said.

It proved the right decision as he swiftly became a key player for the Italians, helping them to secure a return to the Champions League for the first time in 60 years.

Calafiori credits Bologna's coach at the time, Thiago Motta, with helping his career take off by switching him from left-back to being a central defender.

"Last season was my best season," Calafiori added.

"The coach helped me a lot. He was the first guy who put me as a centre-back after I had always played left-back, then I had my best season so far."

For Calafiori, a sightseeing trip to London in January - which included a visit to the Emirates to watch an Arsenal game - would ultimately set him on the path to joining the Gunners.

"I came as a coincidence to visit the city, I had never been before," he said.

"Arsenal were playing Crystal Palace, they won 5-0. At that point I wasn't even thinking about coming to the Premier League."

Four months later, in May, he spoke to Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta about the possibility of joining Arsenal.

"He first wrote to me and then said can I call you," added Calafiori.

"It was so humble and so easy on the phone. He wanted to explain the situation and what they thought about me, what I could improve.

"He tried to convince me but I was already convinced. Not just because it is Arsenal but because it is Mikel."

Having broken into the Italy team for the first time earlier this year, Calafiori put all his focus on the European Championship after he was named in their squad for the tournament.

While on international duty he spoke more with Gunners midfielder Jorghino, who helped convince him the transfer to the Emirates was the right one, and he sealed the move on 29 July.

"During my first training session I was thinking †̃is this real?â€TM," said Calafiori.

"When seeing the Arsenal logo, could I ever think I would be here now...

"It is such an amazing journey."

Injury on international duty disrupted his start to life at the Gunners but he made his full debut on 22 September against title rivals Manchester City and scored an outrageous strike into the top corner.

"When the ball was played to me, I thought let's just shoot into what you call 'top bins'," he joked.

But although the strike was perfect, he did admit his pointing celebration had no meaning and is "embarrassed" watching it back.

"It was not myself who ran - I was blank," he laughed. "It was another person!"

Alongside his use of the phrase "top bins", Calafiori's English is impressive.

"Since I was a kid, I always had a passion to learn languages and started with Netflix and the lyrics of songs - UK drill.

"I am still learning and want to improve."

Now in England, he is determined to throw himself into the culture as well as the football and, despite leaving a country with a rich culinary history, he has found himself enjoying the food here.

"I expected worse from the food in England, it is not so bad," he said.

"Fish and chips I have tried - once per month maybe you can do this, but it isn't healthy.

"I want to feel the whole experience, I want to become an English person and embrace it."

Watch the full interview with Riccardo Calafiori on Football Focus on Saturday, 18 October on BBC One at 12:00 BST.