“Going to sit down and talk” - Richarlison says he’s going to consult psychiatrist amid turbulent spell on and off the pitch
Tottenham Hotspur and Brazil striker Richarlison has opened up about his struggles on and off the pitch over the last few months.
Spurs signed the Brazilian striker from Everton for a deal worth £60 million last summer. However, he had an abysmal 2022-23 campaign, registering just three goals and four assists in 35 appearances across competitions.
Struggling with injuries, he started just 17 games and was often played out of position under Antonio Conte. After Harry Kane's departure in the summer, Richarlison has made five appearances across competitions as a striker for Spurs, scoring just one goal.
He also failed to score for Brazil in their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying fixtures against Bolivia and Peru. The striker was seen in tears after being substituted against Bolivia after he missed a big chance to score.
He has now opened up about his struggles in an interview with Globo, saying (via Football.London):
"On the field I'm a happy team player, I try to help as much as possible. Sometimes, things don't go the way we want. I think this part is a bit of the off-field side that ended up getting in my way. Even though you want to do things right, it ends up going wrong. I will continue to focus on the club, the storm has passed."
He added:
"I went through a turbulent time in the last five months off the field. Now things are right at home. People who only had an eye on my money walked away from me. Now things will start to flow, I'm sure I'll get a good run at Tottenham and make things happen again."
Richarlison explained that he got overwhelmed against Bolivia due to off-field issues and not solely because of his performance:
"That sad moment wasn't even because I played poorly, in my opinion I didn't play badly in Belém, it was more of an outburst about the things that were happening off the field, which were out of control not on my part, but on the part of people who were close to me."
He added that he is going to seek a psychologist after returning to England and work to come back stronger:
"I'm going to go back to England and will seek psychological help, from a psychologist, to work on my mind. That's it, come back stronger. It's about getting a good streak at Tottenham, this week I'm going to sit down and talk to them, I need a good streak, get the rhythm of the game and get here well."
As per Football.London, the Brazil international parted ways with businessman Renato Velasco, who had been with him for a long time.
Richarlison's numbers for club and country
The 26-year-old came through the Brazilian side America-MG's youth setup before moving to Fluminese in January 2016. He registered 11 goals and seven assists in 46 games for them before joining Watford in 2017.
Richarlison scored five goals and provided five assists in 41 games for the Hornets before joining Everton the following year. He contributed 53 goals and 14 assists in 152 games for the Toffees and also helped them avoid relegation in his final season at the club (2021-22).
For Tottenham, the striker has registered four goals and four assists in 40 games.
For Brazil, meanwhile, Richarlison has been a constant goal threat, contributing 20 goals and providing eight assists in 46 games. He was also the top scorer at the 2020-21 Olympics with five goals, helping his side win the gold medal.
Richarlison also won the Copa America in the 2018-19 season, scoring in the final against Peru.