Dejan Kulusevski made his first Tottenham appearance in 526 days during a 3-1 win over Coventry, and has opened up about the mental and physical toll of his lengthy injury lay-off.
Kulusevski came off the bench in the 87th minute, making his first competitive appearance for Spurs since suffering a kneecap injury against Crystal Palace in May 2025.
A 'small knock' that became 18 months of setbacks
What was initially described as a “small knock” turned into nearly 18 months of injury hell for the Swedish playmaker. He underwent two separate surgeries to correct the issue and told his loved ones that he might not make it back onto the pitch.
A succession of setbacks had Kulusevski questioning whether he would have to retire from football at just 26, but he says deep down he always knew he would return to fitness again after a long road to recovery.
'Imagine you can't breathe for two years'
“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,” Kulusevski said.
“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. 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 today.”
Return to fitness and a new perspective
After so long on the sidelines, Kulusevski will be hoping to put his injury troubles behind him. He admits, though, that he is a better person for the pain and suffering he has endured on his route back to fitness.
“Imagine when everyone give up on you. Imagine that you can’t, and you know football for me is like breathing,” Kulusevski continued.
“Imagine you can’t breathe for two years, but still you have a family, you show up, you do it with a smile, you go with your teammates, you hype them up, and that takes a lot of love, a lot of courage and a lot of belief. That is what I had to practice, but I can’t take any credit because it wasn’t me.”
