Dejan Kulusevski made his first Tottenham Hotspur appearance since May 2025 when he came off the bench late in Monday's 3-1 victory over Coventry City, ending a 526-day recovery from a severe knee injury. He was welcomed back with a standing ovation and reunited with his family after the match, with one of his children wearing a jersey reading "526 days - my hero" on the back.
Speaking via The Mirror, Kulusevski described the rehabilitation process as extremely difficult. "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.
He revealed that, just a couple of months ago, he warned his closest family members that his comeback might not happen. "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," he said. He added that he trained for 10 hours a day during his recovery, saying, "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."
Kulusevski also spoke about his faith, saying, "God gives me all the power. I can't take credit for what I have done because I haven't done it alone. Every day he has been doing it for me. Everything feels great. I have been working harder than you can ever imagine. I always knew God would be on my side. I do this because I love it and this is why I play the game."
The midfielder came off the bench alongside James Maddison, who made his first start in 18 months, though Spurs are said to have felt Kulusevski's absence more than any other player's. He praised the reception from Tottenham supporters, saying, "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."
Describing his feelings before stepping onto the pitch, Kulusevski said, "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. Imagine when everyone give up on you. Imagine that you can't and you know football for me is like breathing."
He continued, "Imagine you can't breath for two years but still you have a family, you show up, you do it with a smile, you go with your team-mates, 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. I thank God."
Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi said he brought Kulusevski on to energize the supporters rather than for tactical reasons. Kulusevski expressed satisfaction with his new manager, saying, "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."
