Alisson Becker, the Brazilian goalkeeper who won the Premier League with Liverpool last year, has put his rapid return from injury down to the power of prayer.
A freak training ground incident saw doctors telling him he'd be out for six weeks but instead he returned to the pitch over the weekend after half the expected time.
When asked by reporters what he put the reduced time down to, he said: "I pray a lot. Seriously.
"Also, I did a lot of sessions of treatment. I was every day for five or six hours at the club doing sessions with the physios and the fitness department. After two and a half weeks I started to dive and then on Friday I gave the green light to the boss. I believe my faith and working hard helps me in this fast recovery."
Alisson often finds ways to bring his Christian faith into the public arena.
Last year photos of him baptising a team mate went viral on social media, while after winning the Champions League he celebrated in a t-shirt with a logo which stated the cross equals love.
Article by Marcus Jones
Marcus Jones is Premier's group head of news
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