Luca Stephenson: From “Screaming Pain” to Peak Fitness – Dundee United’s Resilient Liverpool Loanee

Double Hernia Surgery, Medication, and a Bloodied Face: The Making of a Young Player of the Year

Dundee United’s on-loan Liverpool midfielder Luca Stephenson has revealed the harrowing extent of his injury struggles last season, admitting he played through “screaming pain” on heavy medication and missed most weekly training sessions due to a double hernia. The 21-year-old, now in his second loan spell at Tannadice, underwent surgery in April 2025 and has returned fitter and sharper than ever, a transformation evident in his dynamic performances, including two goals and a starring role in United’s 3-1 win over St Mirren on October 25.

Speaking exclusively to The Courier on October 28, 2025, Stephenson opened up about a grueling 2024/25 campaign that saw him crowned Dundee United’s Young Player of the Year despite playing in constant discomfort.

“You almost forget what it’s like to feel 100% fit. Last year I didn’t feel that an awful lot. This season, I feel as sharp as I’ve ever been.”
— Luca Stephenson

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A Season of Pain and Painkillers

Stephenson’s hernia issues began in October 2024, progressively worsening until surgery became unavoidable. For six months, he followed a punishing routine:

• No midweek training – limited to Thursday and Friday sessions
• Heavy medication on Fridays and Saturdays to manage pain
• Unable to strike a ball beyond 5–10 yards without “screaming pain in my groin to the abdomen”
• Medication wore off after 70–75 minutes, leaving him exposed in late-game scenarios

“The running wasn’t so bad, it was more the ball striking; I couldn’t really kick the ball beyond five yards or ten yards without getting a screaming pain… When you got 70 to 75 minutes and that wore off, you were just back in square one again.”

Despite this, Stephenson made 34 appearances, scored three goals, and earned the club’s top youth accolade — a testament to his resilience and professionalism.

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Bloodied at St Mirren: “It Was All a Blur”

Stephenson’s toughness was on full display against St Mirren when he took a knee and shoulder from Mark O’Hara to the face, leaving him bloodied and dazed. After treatment, he returned — only for a cross to the face to reopen the wound.

“It was O’Hara’s knee and shoulder in one motion that initially hit me… Then I got the ball in the face from a cross! It just blew it all up again and made it quite hard to breathe.”

He passed concussion protocols and was monitored over the weekend. His only frustration? Being forced to leave the pitch for a blood check at the opposite touchline — delaying his re-entry and leaving his position exposed for St Mirren’s goal.

“There was no reason for me to go all the way to the other side of the pitch… The referee said I needed to go and get a blood check off the fourth official, which baffles me.”

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Motherwell: A Fresh Start After Cup Heartbreak

Wednesday’s Premier Sports Cup semi-final at Hampden against Motherwell carries extra weight for Stephenson. Last season, he was the unfortunate figure in a 2-1 quarter-final exit at Fir Park, clumsily conceding a 94th-minute penalty that Lennon Miller converted to send the Steelmen through.

“You don’t get too many worse things happening as a young player – knocking your team out of the cup quarter-finals so early into my season.”

But he’s turned trauma into fuel:

“I learned a lot about myself; I can dig deep, and I take confidence from that. To go from what people might have thought of me after three games… to how people thought of me by the time I left shows that I can recover from setbacks.”

With Motherwell under new manager Jens Berthel Askou and playing a possession-heavy style, Stephenson sees a clean slate:

“Fir Park has been a tough place for us to go. But it’s a new Motherwell team and a new Motherwell manager. We’ve got a whole new squad, and they’ve changed system completely. So, this will be a fresh start.”

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Fitter, Hungrier, and Ready for Hampden

Now fully recovered, Stephenson is thriving in Jim Goodwin’s high-energy system. His versatility — deployed at right-back, central midfield, and even wing-back — has been key to United’s fourth-place standing and unbeaten away record in the Premiership.

• 2025/26 stats (as of Oct 29): 10 appearances, 2 goals, 1 assist
• Key contributions: Goal vs. Rangers (1-1 draw), assist in 3-1 St Mirren win
• Fitness: “I feel as sharp as I’ve ever been”

With United one win from a first major final in over a decade, Stephenson is ready to exorcise last year’s demons and help deliver silverware.

“This season, I feel 100%. I’m enjoying my football, playing without pain, and just focused on helping the team.”

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Hampden Awaits: Can Stephenson and United finally conquer Motherwell and book a spot in the Premier Sports Cup Final against Aberdeen or Hibernian? One thing’s certain — the Liverpool loanee is ready to run through walls to make it happen.

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