Reliable Leo aims to complete ever-present season

Leandro is the only outfield player to have featured in every Premier League game for us this season, and has no intention of ruining that record heading into the final game of the campaign at Southampton.

In fact, our winger also played in every Champions League match in our run to the semi-final, and missed just two domestic cup games – one of which he was suspended for following his controversial red card against Manchester City early in the campaign.

His availability has been even more welcome considering the unprecedented number of injuries the squad has suffered this season, especially in the forward areas. And the Belgian has repeatedly responded to the call with vital goals and contributions, racking up 18 goal involvements in all competitions.

But for the ultra-competitive 30-year- old, the season has not ultimately gone the way he intended, as we fell just short in both the Champions League and Premier League. He stresses there are still targets to aim for this season though, as we look to seal second spot for the third-straight season and head into 2025/26 on a high.

it’s been another season of ups and downs. What has been your personal highlight?

For me personally, maybe the goal against Spurs at home. I think that was a big one. Also it was to get the win at the time, so it was an important goal. We beat them home and away, which was another highlight for us, and it’s always nice to do well in those games.

I know, and we all know, what it means to the fans every single time to play against them. We want to win every game against them as well, so it was nice for me to get that winning goal against them at home, and it was my first goal in a north London derby as well.

Especially the way the game had gone. We went behind after dominating the game, so we turned it around quite quickly. Other than that I’m very happy as well, that I haven’t missed a game up until now. I’ve always been available and around the squad. Overall I thought we did well, and got to the semi-final in Europe, but just came up a little bit short.

At the start of the season is your main priority always to stay fit, healthy and be available?

That’s always the first aim, obviously to be always available – not just for the team, but also for yourself. It’s always nice that you can be there with your teammates rather than be sidelined with an injury, because that’s the nastiest thing you can have as a player, to go through that period. So I’m happy with that – really happy with how that has been.

That’s what the manager wants as well, because obviously this year it’s been a bit up and down with injuries – in fact a lot downs. At the start of the season, the manager says that he wants us all to be available as much as possible, to everyone, and I managed to do that again.

Do you look at your stats for the season? You have got 18 goals + assists in all competitions so far. Are you happy with that?

I knew it was something like that; someone told me the other day. To be fair, normally I do look at those numbers, but this season I haven’t really looked at it much. You know roughly what you have done yourself, so I knew it would be around that figure. I prefer to look forward anyway, unless you win something. Then it’s nice to look back!

Once the season is finished I will focus on what I can do to improve. When we get into the new pre-season, as a team we will set our goals and go from there.

Our Champions League run was obviously a highlight of the season. How do you think the new league format changed the competition?

It gave a chance for more teams to get through, and it might have helped some teams who were stronger at the back end of the season. It gave an advantage to those teams who weren’t as strong in the group stage but still managed to get through. It gave them another opportunity to get through to the final, but credit to every team in the competition.

For us it was a great journey. We wanted more, and I think it could have been that way. That’s how football is as well – sometimes you have to take it on the chin and go again next season.

"Once the season is finished I will focus on what I can do to improve. When we get into the new pre-season, as a team we will set our goals"

We finished third in the LEAGUE stage and picked up some big wins along the way. Do you think that can stand us in good stead for next season?

I think you can speak as much as you want about this campaign, but it’s over now. So from next season we start fresh and for everyone it’s a new opportunity. It’s the same for us, and hopefully with everything we’ve had to go through this season, injury-wise and a couple of other things, we can start in a good manner next season. We want to win everything, whatever is possible.

How much confidence does the team take though from the performances against Real Madrid and our the competition as a whole?

I think there’s a lot of confidence within the team. We are always there and we always create chances, and it’s up to us to take them. It’s a good experience as well to take that with us into next season, and those little details – it’s up to us to finish them off in the next campaign.

There’s a saying that the semi-final is the hardest time to go out of a competition. How do you get over that disappointment as a player?

I think it’s a bit individual for everyone. Personally, it takes a while, but if you have an important game three days later it helps to focus you again for sure, because we are still going into every game in the Premier League to win.

But whenever you lose it gives a bit of a sour taste, and the PSG game does still for sure, but there’s nothing you can do about it anymore. You can just look at the good things and the positives we’ve had this campaign and take them into the next one.

"there’s nothing you can do about it anymore. You can just look at the good things and the positives we’ve had this campaign and take them into the next one"

Is that where your experience comes in and you can help lift the rest of the team as well?

That’s what I mean – it’s a bit individual. Some people can handle it a bit better than others. But we want to have a new opportunity next season, and that’s how we need to see it now.

How difficult was it to recover psychologically and physically after the second leg in Paris in time to play at Anfield, especially after going two goals down?

Yeah, for sure, but obviously because it’s Liverpool and it’s at Anfield, we knew how tough a game that would be before we even started it. With the way they play, they’re really physical, they run a lot, so we knew how it would be. But I think, in general, on the ball, we played well.

We had that spell where they scored two goals within a few minutes, and that changed the feeling of the game. But how we reacted the second half was really good from us. We got an early goal and after that, we dominated the game and we could have won it at the end as well.

How important was that comeback going into next season with the knowledge that we didn’t lose to the champions home or away?

Maybe for the outside it makes a difference, but I don’t think it does for us inside the team. We are already pretty confident of our qualities. Everyone knows that if you lose a lot of players, especially players who normally play a lot for your team, it’s going to be different. But I think we adapted well throughout the season and that shows how football goes as well sometimes.

Also the small margins make a difference. I don’t want to talk about luck, but in one way you need things to go your way as well in certain games. Sometimes you need to force your luck by just keep pushing and pushing and that’s what we are trying to do.

Every year we’re closer and closer, and that’s what we need to do next year. We need to keep pushing and push each other towards that – that’s the only way you can go for silverware.

what are your plans for the summer?

Well first Belgium have a couple of World Cup qualifiers in June. Then we’ve got a couple of weeks off, to go on holiday, be with family and friends and relax. It’s been a long season as well, especially if you haven’t missed a game! So I just want to enjoy that time, relax, switch off a bit, give my body a rest and then prepare again for next time. It’s important to switch off, but you always try to come back in good shape in pre-season, so you don’t put yourself at risk for an injury or whatever. But you have to switch off, especially mentally as well.

But let’s finish the season strongly first, then we can have a good feeling going into the off-season.

Do you start preparing for the new season individually even before pre- season starts?

You have to, otherwise it’s going to be really tough for yourself. I don’t think the manager would let you get away with it anyway! It’s about doing a bit of work, and you can get an individual programme if you need one, but it’s important to rest as well.

I like to play other sports in the summer too. I’ll play padel and tennis, because it’s the time of year I can do that as well.