Dejan Kulusevski's unexpected escape plan during the dark times: "Move to an island"

Dejan Kulusevski has a difficult time behind him. A year and a half without football - during an injury cycle marked by setbacks.

He even began to imagine a life without his beloved sport.

- My answer was: Move to an island and be with my family. It was the best I could come up with. If I hadn't had my daughter, it would have been tough. Then I would have been lost. She has been so much fun, as long as I get to be with her, I have fun, he says.

The conversation with the mother: "We love you"

In October, he thus made his first minutes in 526 days. The 26-year-old admits that there were times when he had doubts.

- A little bit. During the summer, because I was in so much pain going up stairs and it wasn't getting any better. I trained ten hours a day, but it didn't matter what I did. I began to think: "If it's over, it's over," he says and continues:

- I told my mother that I didn't think it would work, to prepare her and the family. Those were the days when it changed. When it got better I felt "I'll make it"

The outer runner tells more about the conversation with his mother.

- No, but she was so kind and said: "It's calm Dejan, we love you". For me it was okay, but I just wanted to tell you that it didn't look bright. For a mother it is more difficult than for me, I think. They don't want to see their children suffer.

The question of playing time: "Then that's it"

Kulusevski is now in place with the Swedish national team again, almost two years after his last game in the blue and yellow jersey. The question is how much playing time there will be.

- I want to have everything in one day and I want to play as much as possible, that's what I need to deal with. If it's 20 minutes, so be it, says the Spurs star who last played 25 minutes for Tottenham.

On Saturday, Sweden faces Bosnia & Herzegovina in a group final in the Nations League. Then they travel to Poland for a final match.