Emre Can has disclosed that he had thyroid surgery shortly after joining Juventus from Liverpool owing to an early cancer diagnosis. Can played four years with Liverpool beginning in 2014 but turned down a contract offer to join Juventus on a free transfer in 2018.
It happened despite playing a crucial first-team role for Liverpool. The German wanted to explore a fresh challenge in Serie A – a challenge that, it turned out, would only last a year and a half before returning to Borussia Dortmund.
Emre was sidelined for six weeks early in his Juventus career after undergoing surgery. Emre recovered as quickly as possible and became a regular for Dortmund over the last two and a half years, appearing 101 times in a variety of positions, including centre-back, right-back, left-back, and No. 6. His versatility was something that Klopp utilized during his Liverpool days as well.
Former Liverpool midfielder Emre Can has revealed he was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and underwent urgent surgery soon after joining Juventus in 2018 from Liverpool pic.twitter.com/PQcbLG3GqH
— Anything Liverpool (@AnythingLFC_) January 27, 2023
Can, 29, stated via GOAL, to DAZN, “I had thyroid cancer, and I urgently needed an operation,” he said, as relayed by GOAL. This has changed a lot in my life. You can have much money, you can have everything, but health is the most important thing. I am extremely grateful to the doctors. A couple of months after the medical visits with Juventus, they called me. I didn’t even know what was going on, I had never heard of the thyroid, and I didn’t know that there could be a tumour. The move to Turin is worth it for that alone.”
You’ll Never Walk Alone, Emre Can!