It has been over 1,100 days since Gerard Deulofeu last kicked a football in anger, but the former Spain winger refuses to give up on what he describes as his "miracle" return to the beautiful game.
The 31-year-old Udinese attacker, whose career has been cruelly halted by a catastrophic knee injury, opened up about his three-year battle to regain the ability to walk normally, let alone play professional football again.
Deulofeu's last appearance came in January 2023 against Sampdoria. He had already spent two months recovering from what he didn't realize was an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury sustained before Serie A broke for the World Cup. His return was short-lived and devastating.
"I played 15 minutes," Deulofeu recalled. "And there, in that 15 minutes, the ACL was completely broken. That was my last game."
The aftermath plunged the former Barcelona, Everton, Watford, and AC Milan winger into a personal hell. "I lost all my personal life," he revealed. "That's the most hurtful thing that you can feel."
There was a period where Deulofeu couldn't walk with his children, take the dogs out, or even drive a car. The simple, everyday activities that most take for granted were stripped away by the severity of the injury. He clenches his fists and knocks his knuckles together to demonstrate what happened to his knee. "My two bones," he grimaces. "They are shocking."
Yet, despite the physical and emotional toll, Deulofeu remains steadfast in his determination to defy medical odds. Every day spent grafting in the gym brings him one step closer to what he acknowledges would be an unprecedented comeback.
"One of the things I get energy from is that I know I can make history," says the 31-year-old. "Now I am just waiting to do a miracle to be back playing football. But I know it is so difficult to come back with that type of incapacity."
The journey from La Masia to European glory, from gracing the FA Cup final to scoring for his country, has been defined by skill and flair. But this current chapter is defined by sheer resilience. Deulofeu desperately wants to feel the rush of tying full-backs in knots once more, to complete what he believes would be the longest recovery in football history.
His story is no longer just about football—it's about the human spirit's refusal to surrender. As he continues his solitary battle in the gym, away from the stadium lights and cheering crowds, Gerard Deulofeu fights not just for a career, but for the life he lost.
Football fans across the world will be hoping that miracle eventually comes.
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