Dejan Kulusevski reveals the secret behind one of his biggest strengths
Dejan Kulusevski speaks about his phenomenal engine, explaining why he is able to keep going for 90 minutes in a way many of his peers cannot.
Dejan Kulusevski is the fittest player in the Premier League
The numbers suggest that Dejan Kulusevski is in a league of his own when it comes to distance covered per 90 minutes and the amount of sprints he makes per game.
The Tottenham man has the most sprints per game in the Premier League and has clocked the two highest distances in a single game by any player this season.
According to BBC Sport, he ran an astounding 13.2 km in the 3-0 win against Manchester United and 12.6 km in Tottenham’s 3-1 win over Brentford.
Kulusevski’s admission about his engine
While Kulusevski confessed that some of it is due to genetic advantages, he revealed that he also worked extremely hard on his fitness to get to where he is.
When asked about the running stats he puts up, the Tottenham man told Sky Sports: “I think part of it is mental. But it is also genetics. When we do physical tests at the club, they always see that I have a very strong heart, so I imagine that helps me a lot.
“As soon as I get one minute of recovery time, it just fuels me up to go again. I just need to recover for a little bit, and then I have all my stamina back quite fast.
“Also, I work very hard, so I think it’s a combination of those three things. In football, it’s so important because the pitch is so big. If you can play for 90 minutes without being tired, it helps so much. It’s a huge part of my game and a huge part of my life.”
Dejan Kulusevski opens up on his off-field work
Kulusevski added that he worked extremely hard during the summer break to become fitter and stronger. The 24-year-old admitted that he has matured in 2024 and is now determined to become the best player he can be.
He said: “I started doing very different work in the gym and started training even harder than before. I took a lot of strength from that training, but I also worked on the mental side.
“I matured. I started focusing on the things I need to focus on, all the time. Think positively. Don’t see it as bigger than it is, because it’s just football and it’s the best thing in life.”
Kulusevski rejected the idea that there is pressure associated with football, insisting that he tries to get the same enjoyment from the game that he did while growing up.
He added: “Pressure should not exist in football. It’s just doing the thing that you love. Pressure is something for real life. It’s for parents who have to send their kids away and things like that.
“So, I just try to focus on football as something fun and try to be the best I can every day, all the time looking for knowledge, asking questions and learning from great players I have played with.”
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