Emre Can says he'll forever be grateful to the Juventus doctors who quickly diagnosed that he had thyroid cancer just weeks after joining the club from Liverpool.
The German midfielder made the move to the Italian giants on a free transfer in the summer of 2018, after his four-year deal at Anfield had expired.
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 now at Borussia Dortmund, has now revealed that that surgical treatment was for thyroid cancer which had been discovered.
“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."
Can was out for two months after undergoing the surgery, returning in December 2018 during what would be an 18-month stay at Juventus.
And although he may have failed to hit the heights on the pitch in Turin, he says his move to Italy was worth it because of the quick discovery of the problem.
“I am so grateful to Juventus doctors," he continued.
“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 joined Dortmund on loan in January 2020 before completing a permanent switch to the Bundesliga side the following summer.
He has played 101 games for the club, scoring nine goals, following on from his 166 appearances during four years at Liverpool, where he scored 14 times.
He was part of the Liverpool sides which lost League Cup, Europa League and Champions League finals under Jurgen Klopp between 2016 and 2018.
