Former Arsenal forward Lucas Perez has revealed the heart-wrenching family history that began with his abandonment at just two years old.
The Spanish footballer, who has had a 15-year professional career spanning from his home country to Ukraine, Greece, England and now the Netherlands with PSV Eindhoven, opened up about his troubled relationship with his parents.
The ex-Gunner, who was signed by the Premier League giants for £17million in 2016 from Deportivo La Coruna, only spent one season in north London before returning to the La Liga side on loan. After four separate stints at Deportivo, he left the club last month due to personal issues.
In an interview with El Partidazo de Cope, Perez disclosed the heartbreaking reason behind his departure. “When I was two, my parents left me in an orphanage because they couldn’t or didn’t want to take care of me,” he said. “This season, I received a complaint from my father demanding that I pay maintenance for the rest of his life.”
This wasn’t the first time one of his parents demanded money from him; the first instance occurred after his move to Arsenal nearly 10 years ago. “From then on, I spent several months until I left Deportivo with a lot of stress and a lot of anxiety because I had to relive very difficult moments in my life,” he added, via the Mirror.
(Image: Getty Images)
“When I signed for Arsenal, my mother also sent me a burofax demanding money… but she can’t claim it because she’s not listed in the joint custody. My grandparents asked for custody and, later, my grandmother allowed my father to take over. I was lucky to have my grandparents, but they couldn’t last as long as they should have.”
The turmoil continued into his time at Deportivo, as he shared: “I’m leaving now because the issue with my father continues. I’ve met him several times this Christmas and it’s not a pleasant experience.”
Seeking a fresh start, Perez has inked a short-term deal with PSV; however, he won’t get the chance to line up against his old club Arsenal in the Champions League round of 16, with the reigning Eredivisie champions set to host the opening leg on Tuesday, because he didn’t sign before the deadline to register European squads.
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