Spurs fans reach instant Dejan Kulusevski verdict after first appearance in 526 days
Tottenham Hotspur fans have spoken out after Dejan Kulusevski finally returned from his 526-day injury during the 3-1 win over Coventry City.
After a turbulent period in which Tottenham Hotspur have had four different head coaches and made 20 different signings, star forward Kulusevski made his long-awaited return on Monday night.
Following a first-half that saw James Maddison score on his first start since May 2025, Kulusevski came off the bench late in the second half to make his first appearance in 526 days, and it's safe to say fans were impressed.
Dejan Kulusevski verdict reached after first Spurs appearance in 526 days
Back in May 2025, Kulusevski picked up a knee injury against Crystal Palace that ruled him out of the Europa League final victory over Manchester United, which he was forced to watch from the sidelines on crutches.
Unfortunately, the Swedish international ended up missing the entirety of the 2026/27 season, with many fans feeling that his absence from the squad contributed to their dismal campaign in which the narrowly avoided relegation from the Premier League on the final day.
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But in the final minutes of Spurs' victory over Conventry City on Monday night, Kulusevski's nightmare finally ended, and fans were delighted to see him back.
"I just gave Dejan Kulusevski a standing ovation in my living room," one fan wrote after the match.
Another claimed: "Kulusevski coming on is the happiest i’ve been watching spurs since the europa league final."
While one added: "Kulusevski was the missing piece for spurs and he is back."
With another excited fan writing: "Kulusevski running down the wing, Maddison and Ben Davies on the scoresheet. We've got our Tottenham back."
To put in perspective how long it's been since Kulusevski was last seen playing for Spurs, at the time Paris Saint-Germain had never won the Champions League, Son Heung-min was still Spurs captain and Ange Postecoglou was their manager.
Since then, Spurs have won just four games at home in the Premier League, including the win over Coventry.
Kulusevski's return comes at the perfect time as they face London rivals Chelsea in their next match on Saturday night.
Given how sharp he looked during his 11 minute spell against Coventry, it's possible that we may finally see the Swede starting for Spurs once again this weekend.
James Maddison speaks out after first Spurs start since May 2025
Of course, it isn't just the return of Kulusevski that has Spurs fans finally excited about the future, as star midfielder Maddison also started a match for the first time since May 2025 following his own long battle with injuries.
And it didn't take long for him to remind fans just why £40million to sign him back in June 2023 as he scored a beautiful goal from outside the box to kickstart Spurs' first win of the season.
"I hoped [I could make this type of impact] I spoke to the gaffer about this week and feeling like the right moment for me to go back into the starting XI after a stop-start start to the season," Maddison told Sky Sports post-match.
"I just wanted to play well and to show my qualities and what the team has missed in the last 18 months since my last start.
"The gaffer asked me to play and wanted to enjoy watching me from the side, so hopefully I did that.
"A goal like that is always nice.
"Those dark days recovering from the ACL you dream of those moments and those goals. That is always the light at the end of the tunnel.
"That is why I felt really emotional and proud of Dejan Kulusevski today because I knew exactly that feeling he had stepping back onto the pithc after that amont of time out.
"Those moments and those goals they make it all worth it."
Topics: Tottenham Hotspur, Premier League, Football
Ben McCrum