'My head was gone' - Anjorin is back after struggles

Former England youth international Tino Anjorin joined Empoli from Chelsea in the summer

Six months is a long time in football, especially if your name is Tino Anjorin.

"My head was gone, it was the worst mental health stage I have experienced in my life," recalls the 23-year-old midfielder about a stage of his career that was ravaged by injuries.

Anjorin is now playing regularly at high-flying Empoli in Italy's Serie A after joining on a free transfer from Chelsea in the summer.

This is close to the level people expected for Anjorin, who was seen as one of the finest talents off Chelsea's youth production line at Cobham.

An early Chelsea debut in the EFL Cup at 17, a Premier League debut six months later and a Champions League start against Krasnodar - along with two further appearances in the FA Cup - highlighted what Frank Lampard and Thomas Tuchel thought of Anjorin's talents.

"I was making my debut in that situation where I just didn't have any problems and just loved playing my football," Anjorin tells BBC Sport.

"Lampard gave me the stage, lit a fire under me to become a Premier League footballer and those appearances attracted clubs like Lokomotiv Moscow and Huddersfield to sign me on loan.

"Thomas Tuchel showed me what you can do as a team that was on the ropes, getting hammered, but ended up winning the Champions League, no-one thought we would do that, not even in the dressing room."

'My hamstring almost tore completely off'

Two weeks after his Premier League debut, the Covid pandemic began. Anjorin spent lockdown trying to maintain his progress by shaving around 10kg off his weight through a change of diet and running "10 to 12k every day".

It was a misguided approach by former fitness staff at Cobham, as Anjorin explains: "I ended up completely tearing my quad because I didn't have any muscle on me."

Next came an unrelated metatarsal injury during the following season while on loan at Lokomotiv Moscow, although Anjorin had time to excel in the Europa League, scoring a wonderful, curling finish against Marseille.

He returned to England for closer supervision by Chelsea's medical staff while on loan at Huddersfield but ankle surgery caused him to miss 11 Championship matches.

A Premier League-level wage after his June 2020 debut, alongside the injuries, meant limited demand for Anjorin's services on loan. It left him, in his own words, "grateful" League One Portsmouth took "a chance" on him.

Unfortunately, while at Portsmouth, Anjorin suffered another setback, which he previously described as "heart-breaking".

"It was just starting to go well, and then my hamstring just tore almost completely off the bone, 5% was left hanging on, it was not nice," he explains.

"I don't have a story about something getting me through, my head was completely gone - it was the worst mental health I've had in my life.

"I wasn't dealing with it well at all. No-one could speak to me, no-one could do anything. I just sat there, I'd go in, and just ice it, and then go and just sleep.

"Six weeks after the surgery, my head was still bad. But then Portsmouth, I really appreciate it, said: 'We want you for the end of the season, or when you get back, just take your time, make sure you're really strong so you can get back'.

"I fully expected to be re-joining Portsmouth permanently this summer, they will always be in my heart, so if someone told me then I'd be playing Milan at San Siro - I'd have laughed at them.

"It all happened so quickly, even when the opportunity was first brought to me, I didn't believe it."

'San Siro left me dazed'

Anjorin has two assists in 12 appearances for Empoli this season

Since joining Empoli, Anjorin has played 11 times as a central midfielder for a team sitting 10th in Serie A and who recently knocked Fiorentina out of the Coppa Italia.

When asked about his ambitions and whether he can get back to the Premier League someday, he says: "Here at Empoli they listen to us.

"Everyone thinks in football you have to push yourself to 100% every day, but there are some days where you don't feel right and 70 or 80% is enough. People in football don't tell you that.

"There's not as many games as England and the pace isn't as fast. And all the experimenting between 18 and 21, I know my body now. I've put on muscle, lost muscle, had different diets, completely got rid of this, gained this.

"And so now I feel like I'm in a space where everything's finally coming together. I am in a space where I want to get to the top level."

He has also been up against a number of former Chelsea team-mates.

Anjorin adds: "It was fun playing against Billy Gilmour and Romelu Lukaku with Napoli the other day, San Siro left me dazed in the tunnel and returning to Lazio, where I played with Lokomotiv, for a league game was special.

"I fit the system, they have a plan for me and my team-mates are helping me to adapt to life in Italy. Personally, my goal is just to play as many games as I can, have a fully fit season and reach and play full games as many as I can.

"That's all that I'm focusing on now. And then, personally, whatever happens, happens. I don't know, I'm not looking into the future right now."