Dejan Kulusevski made his long-awaited return to action for Tottenham Hotspur on Monday night, coming on as a late substitute in the 3-1 win over Coventry City. The appearance ended a 526-day spell on the sidelines following a serious knee injury.
The Sweden international was greeted with a hero's welcome from the crowd and met his family after the match, with one of his children wearing a shirt reading "526 days - my hero" on the back.
A Journey That Felt Impossible
Kulusevski admitted the road back was extremely difficult and revealed he had warned his loved ones that he might not return to playing. "The journey felt impossible. It was the most difficult it could be, but I had a feeling I was going to come back to play football. I just had to believe and that is what I do," he said.
"I never lost belief but it seemed impossible. I had to tell my closest ones it might not work out, just a couple of months ago but in my heart I always knew it would work out."
The midfielder described the daily grind behind his recovery. "I kept working, 10 hours every day when no one is watching, so when everything was impossible and everyone gave up, I never gave up because of this that happened when I came back."
Praise for Fans and Teammates
Kulusevski thanked the supporters for their reception when he entered the pitch late on against Coventry. James Maddison also featured in the match, starting his first game in 18 months.
He said the long layoff would make him stronger. "I am so grateful that they miss me play. It means a lot and I am here to show them a better me. And a better me will be a better Spurs so we will be good."
Reflecting on the moment he felt ready, he added: "I was not nervous. I was ready to play. It was fun, it was fun. Yeah, I clicked about five days ago because it gets better all the time and keeps getting better."
Working With De Zerbi
Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi said he brought on Kulusevski to please the crowd. The player expressed his enthusiasm for working under the new boss. "He's amazing. I like him a lot and I can't wait to keep working with him. It was more emotional I think this morning. It was a beautiful day and I'm so happy we won."
