Luuk de Jong has not ruled out a return to PSV as a player. He discussed the possibility on Ziggo Sport ahead of the Champions League match between FC Porto and PSV.
Last season, the 36-year-old striker suffered a cruciate ligament injury while playing for Porto. He did not play for the Portuguese club again and has been without a club since this summer.
On Tuesday, he told Ziggo Sport: "Things are going very well. My knee is doing well too. It's now ten months since the operation, so in principle my knee is fine and I'm ready for a lovely new adventure."
Asked about a possible new adventure, he said: "It has to be special. It really has to convince me and my family that we'll have a good life there and be at a good club. And even if that doesn't happen, I'd be at peace with it. It's not as though I have to carry on playing football at all costs."
He added: "Everyone knows what kind of player I am. I'm a player who needs to play for a top team in the league. Porto have already made an offer. At the time, I said I wasn't going to do that again. We felt we wanted to go home and see what else might come along."
De Jong acknowledged how limited his options are: "So there isn't a great deal left, to be honest. I'm honest about that too. It would really have to be a top club looking for a pinch-hitter for the final minutes. And I know the chances of that are very small, given my injury and my age. Or it would have to be in a lovely country where family life is very good and the school is good for the children too."
Reporter Noa Vahle asked whether the United States or the Middle East were also options. De Jong replied: "It could be all sorts of things. I'm open to listening to anything. There are plenty of approaches, just nothing yet that makes me think: that's what I have to do."
As for a return to PSV, De Jong said: "I've closed that chapter. PSV are my club; we're in close contact. Never say never in football; something can always happen. But I don't expect that to happen again."
Vahle then asked what would have to happen for him to return after all. "There would have to be a real emergency and they'd have to be looking for someone," De Jong replied. Vahle pointed out that PSV might already be in that position. The club currently have three injured strikers in Alassane Pléa, Ricardo Pepi and Sam Lammers.
"The need probably isn't great enough. I don't think so," replied De Jong. Coach Peter Bosz has not approached him either. "No, no. I speak to Peter often enough, but we haven't talked about that."