Tottenham Hotspur star Dejan Kulusevski has been praised for turning up to the Swedish national camp this week, despite not being fit to play.
Fotboll Skanalen cover comments from various members of the Sweden squad today praising the Tottenham man for the leadership he’s showing.
Kulusevski is the current Swedish captain under John Dahl Tomasson, with Viktor Lindelof also absent as he took too long finding a new club following his departure from Manchester United in the summer.
The problem is that the Tottenham midfielder is not currently eligible to play as he’s out injured with a long-term injury picked up towards the end of last season.
That’s seen him miss the start of the season with Spurs but also means he’s not fit for Sweden’s clashes with Slovenia and Kosovo in World Cup qualifying.
Ordinarily that would mean he wouldn’t be a part of the group, but Fotboll Skanalen say he has ignored convention and insisted upon being a part of the group, even if just from the sidelines.
That’s gone down very well with pretty much everyone in the Sweden camp, who have been left impressed by the leadership he’s showing.
“This shows that he is an incredible leader,” said Ken Sema.
“It means a lot. He comes in with energy, is very playful and gives us a lot of positive things. Then he is a close friend of mine. So, it means a lot to us.
“He shows that he is a leader who wants to be here and help the team, and we all see how much he is passionate about this national team. We need as much help as we can get. It is only positive.”
“It’s big, actually. That says a lot about his character. He is here as a leader but of course as one of the players,” added centre-back Hjalmar Ekdal.
“It means a lot. It means he has a lot of commitment and that he is passionate about this. A good captain’s job.”