Emre Can has revealed he was diagnosed with thyroid cancer just weeks after leaving Liverpool for Juventus back in 2018.
The German joined the Reds from Bayer Leverkusen in a £9.75m deal in June 2014, and made 166 appearances, scoring 14 goals, during his four seasons at Anfield before leaving at the end of his contract after the 2018 Champions League final.
Signing for Juventus on a Bosman transfer, the midfielder made 10 appearances at the start of the 2018/19 season before he was sidelined for two months after undergoing surgery.
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At the time Juventus issued an official statement in October 2018 confirming that Can was facing thyroid surgery, saying that the midfielder would "undergo clinical tests and investigations for a thyroid nodule that could also require surgical treatment."
However Can, who is currently at Borussia Dortmund, has now revealed that that surgical treatment was actually for thyroid cancer, which Juventus doctors had discovered as he made the move to Turin.
“I had thyroid cancer and I needed to undergo surgery urgently,” the 29-year-old told DAZN, via Football Italia. “This has changed a lot in my life.
“You can have a lot of money, you can have everything, but health is the most important thing.
“It’s part of life and I suggest everyone undergo screenings, it doesn’t matter how healthy one thinks he is, if you find out about these things in time, you can act.
“I am so grateful to Juventus doctors. They called me two months after my medicals with the club. I didn’t know what was going on, I didn’t even know what a thyroid was and I would never imagine I had cancer. The move to Turin was worthy, only just for this."
Can made a full recovery and would return to action in December 2018.
However, his spell would only last 18 months at Juventus, making just 45 appearances as he fell out of favour during his second season with the club, before signing for Borussia Dortmund in 2020 after a successful half-season loan.
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