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ESPN Brasil today features a new interview with Everton star Richarlison, who’s happy to be finding his good form at the club once again.

After the great start the Toffees had in the Premier League, the striker ended up being sent off at the end of the derby against Liverpool, and that had an impact in the following results.

Everton faced Southampton, Newcastle and Manchester United while the Brazilian was suspended, and lost all of those matches. Now Richarlison claims he’s has some responsibility for that bad sequence.

“I see myself as a leader too, because I know my responsibility here,” Richarlison told ESPN Brasil’s João Castelo Branco.

“So much so that when I was sent off I saw that the team felt the blow too, because we lost three games in a row and now we could be at the top of the table. If I was playing, I think I could do something. I saw how the team felt. So I think I have to be responsible, I have to be aware, and I know that I’m very important here at the club too.”

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Despite a goal in the third fixture of the Premier League, Richarlison spent over two months without finding the back of the net. When he finally did it again, he says it was predicted by manager Carlo Ancelotti.

“Yes, I was worried, because I was far in the back, I was defending a lot, I was getting too little in the opponent’s box. So I think it weighed a little. But I kept working hard. The day before the game he said that I was going to score in that match and that’s what happened.”

The player has also explained he’s been doing extra work away from the pitch so he can be in better physical condition for matches.

“I have a physio at home, who takes care of my physical part. When there’s a game like Saturday and then on Saturday, I have physio at home that prepares me well to get to the game well. So I have all the support in the house that makes me evolve at home. I’m paying a lot, but it’s worth it, my work is evolving. So I think this is the beginning of everything in my evolution.”

Regarding the criticism he gets for showing his position on social justice in Brazil, Richarlison claims it won’t change the way he does it.

“It’s normal, if not even Jesus pleased everyone, who am I? I’m here to defend mine, I’m there to make justice happen too. I’m not going to please everyone, I’ll be doing what I think is right, what counts is my intention, being a good intention, I’ll always be positioning myself.”