Defender Perr Schuurs has opened up about the darkest period of his career, and how it ruined moves to Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur.
In an emotional interview with De Telegraaf, the 26-year-old describes a two-year battle with pain, uncertainty and mental collapse, and how he is now finally seeing a way back.
Crystal Palace and Tottenham attempts
Perr Schuurs is currently a free agent after leaving Torino in February. That departure came an injury hit two years. He previously spent 286 days out with a cruciate ligament injury suffered in October 2024 and is currently on 618 days following knee surgery.
Before the latest problem, he had been one of Serie A’s most in-demand defenders. After impressing at Torino, he had multiple Premier League clubs pushing hard. That included Crystal Palace and Tottenham.
“I had reached an agreement with Inter in the summer for a five-year contract, but the club couldn’t come to an agreement with Torino,” he said.
“Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur also wanted to do business and pay more. They offered €35m, Inter €30m. While Torino demanded at least €40m. A stalemate arose. That played a role in the background as well. I was sick about not having made a transfer. Still am, actually,”
Injury nightmare
Two months later, Perr Schuurs suffered the injury that changed everything. The knee injury, suffered against injury, triggered a medical mystery that left specialists across Europe baffled.
“Everything seemed to have gone well, but after a week I had a reaction on the outside of my knee,” he explained.
“I was dying of pain. Instead of four weeks, I walked on crutches for four months. That’s when all the alarm bells went off. I saw the best orthopaedists in England, France, Italy, and the Netherlands. But the cause of the complaints was not found.”
That left the defender miserable. Not only had he missed big moves to Crystal Palace and Tottenham, but his career was also now on the ropes.
“I had fallen from the peak of my career and the most beautiful phase of my private life into the deepest ravine, one I didn’t even know existed,” he admitted.
“It manifested itself in fits of crying and immense anger. One evening, when I really couldn’t take it anymore, I said to my girlfriend: sleep well and I hope I don’t wake up again. I never considered ending my life.”
Focus on the comeback
Now the defender is back on the road to recovery. He can see light at the end of the tunnel and is hoping for a redemption arc made for the movies.
“I would have preferred to lie in bed with the curtains closed,” he concluded.
“I was shocked by the person I had become; I haven’t been myself for two years. Now I have been pain-free for weeks and feel better and better. I want to make the most beautiful comeback ever.
“I am focusing on being in top shape by the end of June. Then I will start looking for a club. When I think about that, tears well up in my eyes. On the other hand, it is painful that it is a dream.”