But his determination has paid off and the 23-year-old has earned himself an England call-up for the forthcoming World Cup qualifiers with Wales and Northern Ireland.
"The second time I did it, I wanted to quit. I thought 'I can't go through another eight or nine months of this, it's agony'," he said. "I'm 100% fit now. It's been a long recovery but it's been worth it.
"I was fortunate and once people came in from the Liverpool academy to talk to me, I just knew I had to come back and give it a go," he said.
"I've been lucky enough to be surrounded by the right people who are willing to work with you out of hours and come back at night in their own time, when they shouldn't even be working, and try to get you back fit."