“I only thought rubbish” – Tottenham forward Richarlison thanks his psychologist for “saving his life”

Richarlison struggled with depression after World Cup

Tottenham Hotspur forward Richarlison has opened up about his depression struggles post the 2022 FIFA World Cup and also thanked his psychologist for saving his life. The Brazilian went through a tough period in his personal life following Selecao’s exit from the Qatar showpiece, where he netted thrice for the South American giants.

Brazil’s ambitions of winning a sixth World Cup title were dashed by Croatia in the quarter-finals on penalties, following which Richarlison said that ‘everything fell apart’, as he slipped into depression, so much so that the player even contemplated giving up on his career altogether.

In an emotional interview with ESPN Brazil, the 26-year-old opened up on his personal struggles like never before, saying:

“I’d just played in a World Cup, man, at my peak. I was reaching my limit, you know? I don’t know, I’m not going to talk about killing myself, but I was in a depression there, and I wanted to give up. Even I, who seemed to be mentally strong. After the World Cup, it seemed like it all fell apart.

Furthermore, the former Everton star thanked his therapist for ‘saving his life’.

“I think the therapist, like it or not, saved me, saved my life. I only thought rubbish … Even on Google, I only searched for rubbish, I only wanted to see rubbish about death.”

Last September, Richarlison had even announced that he was seeing a psychologist to overcome his mental issues. However, he’s recovered wonderfully since then, and that has reflected in his improved performances for Tottenham Hotspur. The Brazilian, who netted just once in the 2022-23 season for Spurs, has scored 10 times this season.

Richarlison just four goals away from setting Premier League best

With 10 goals under his belt in the Premier League, Richarlison is enjoying a decent campaign with Tottenham. He’s now only four goals away from setting a personal milestone, his league best. At Everton, the Brazilian netted 13 goals in 2018-19 and 2019-20 league seasons, but hasn’t been able to surpass them since then. This season, Richarlison has a good chance of doing exactly that, with 10 more games still left to play.

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