Tottenham have released an exclusive interview with Kulusevski. Kulusevski reflected on his final preparations before his return and on how it felt to step back onto the pitch and hear the passionate cheers of the Tottenham fans. He also spoke about the support he received from the new coaching staff and his hope of scoring again at Tottenham Stadium, and said he wants to end this difficult experience as a better player and a better person.
Reporter: Take us back to the final week before your comeback. Were you gradually increasing your training intensity and starting to feel truly ready to return?
Kulusevski: Yes, I had that feeling even before then. I had even started preparing for the Man United match, because you never know what's going to happen. Then they told me I wasn't fully ready yet. I accepted that, because I didn't want to put any more pressure on myself, so I just said, "Okay."
The following week, the doctor spoke with me. He said, "Dejan, you're ready."
I replied, "Thank you, I know I'm ready."
Then the doctor told the head coach. The day before the match, the head coach came to me and said, "The doctor told me you're ready."
I replied, "Yes, I told you before, I'm ready."
He said, "Good, fantastic. I'll try to get you on the pitch."
Then we hugged, and that was it.
The moments that really make you emotional are often the ones when you're alone. When you're by yourself, you think about Serbia, about everything you've been through. That's when it suddenly hits you: "Oh my god, I really did it, I really, really did it."
I always knew I could do it, and now that moment has finally arrived.
Reporter: Tell us about the match itself. What was the situation on the pitch at the time?
Kulusevski: It was a very tight match, and both sides were playing nervously. I kept thinking, "No, I have to play, I have to play."
Then the staff called me and Tel over. They told Tel, "We're going to bring you on now." Then they said to me, "Dejan, wait here for a few minutes."
I replied, "Okay, no problem."
But they quickly realized how badly I wanted to get back on the pitch, so they decided, "Okay, we'll make the substitution now."
What I really wanted was to get on and touch the ball. I didn't want to come on as a substitute and not even touch it. I wanted to get on and run 50 meters with the ball, like before. So that moment was really perfect, absolutely brilliant.
Reporter: The moment you walked onto the pitch, even before you started warming up, the entire North Stand rose to applaud you. I don't think I've ever seen fans react like that to a player who was just warming up. And it wasn't only the North Stand; almost the whole stadium erupted. How did you feel at that moment?
Kulusevski: It was truly beautiful. I think everyone can see that I simply love playing football. Whenever I play, I try to push myself beyond my limits, hoping to bring smiles to people's faces and to encourage and inspire them. So I'm very grateful for everyone's support and love.
But ultimately, I'm a competitor, and at that moment I was only thinking about preparing for the match. I stayed very focused. Even after coming on, I couldn't truly enjoy the moment because the game was so important. We were leading 2-1 at the time and I only had a few minutes to play, but I had to do everything right, so I was fully concentrated.
Reporter: This experience will stay with you forever, won't it? Especially being sent onto the pitch by the head coach himself. That's a wonderful thing, and you'll always remember this moment.
Kulusevski: Yes. Speaking of Roberto, I knew him before, because he's a very special coach. So when he came here, I felt it was something special. Honestly, I'm very happy to have him and his coaching staff, because they are different, and I like working with different people. I like working with people who are willing to give everything for football and for this job, and that's exactly who they are. I'm very happy to have them as coaches, and I'm happy to share this moment with them. I can't wait to see what we can achieve together in the future.
Reporter: Did you expect the fans to welcome you back in such a way?
Kulusevski: Not at all. It felt like a huge hug, as if everyone was saying to me, "Welcome back, this is where you truly belong." That feeling was very special. People looked at me knowing what I had been through. Even now, I still replay that moment over and over in my mind, because it was truly beautiful.
Reporter: How fast did those 10 minutes go by?
Kulusevski: Very fast. The first thought that came to my mind after the game was: "That was really fun!" It's such a great feeling to be playing again, to have all those options on the pitch again. And when we finally won the game, it felt even better. Afterwards, I also saw my daughter.
Kulusevski's wife: After the match, I went down to the pitch with the children, and we even had a special gift for him.
Reporter: What did that jersey say?
Kulusevski: "526 days," and then "My Hero."
Reporter: You definitely have one more item on your to-do list: scoring again at Tottenham Stadium. I'm sure you'll celebrate wildly then.
Kulusevski: Of course.
Reporter: And you'll walk onto the pitch with her, right?
Kulusevski: Exactly. I asked her if she wanted to walk onto the pitch with me. She always used to say no, I know that, but this time she will.
Reporter: How important is it for you to be able to plan these things for the future and firmly believe they will come true?
Kulusevski: That's one of my biggest motivations. When I train the hardest and constantly push myself, what I have in my mind is that one day I'll be able to walk onto the pitch with her again. For me, it's very important to always do my best. Whether you're at your peak or in a slump, you should always stay true to yourself. Whether you have cartilage in your knee or not, you are still you, still a man. You still have a responsibility to be a good husband, a good father, and to fulfill all your other responsibilities.
For me, who a person truly is matters a great deal. But life moves in cycles, and it keeps proving that everything comes full circle. So if this story can end in such a way, it would be a very beautiful ending. Maybe with a goal, maybe with something else. I hope to end the whole story like this: I'm back, and I'm better.
This was something that shouldn't have happened, something that even seemed impossible to overcome, but in the end I became not only a better footballer but also a better person. That's the most beautiful part, because everyone loves a happy ending.