“I managed to find happiness” – Player on Tottenham helping him overcome struggles, urges others to seek help

On Sunday, Tottenham Hotspur will take on Manchester United and ahead of this league clash, ESPN in Brazil interviewed Richarlison.

The forward has scored seven goals and contributed three assists from 23 games this season.

Richarlison explained he’s enjoying life at Tottenham, both on and off the pitch, after overcoming some issues he’d earlier spoken about.

“I think the main thing is happiness. I think I managed to find my happiness again,” he said.

“I was feeling a little down, sad… I wasn’t the Richarlison that everyone knew. Even training was different. So, I think I managed to find that again, that hope that I had. This joy that I have inside me. So, that was the most important thing I managed to win back.”

The Brazil international scored only one goal in the first 15 league games this season. His form has improved in the last month or so, with five goals in the last five league matches.

When discussing issues, the 26-year-old opened up about his struggles with mental health and why he was initially reluctant to ask for help. The former Everton man has also revealed that Tottenham played a part in helping him ‘turn things around’.

“I managed, with the help of the club, to seek this help. This was very important for me, because, as I said, there were days when I didn’t want to leave the house, leave my room, I was going to train, I was going straight home and locked myself in my room,” Richarlison explained.

“So, this was difficult for me. And like I said, it seems like I talk to people more, venting, I think it seems to have improved.

“And it’s something that, as I’m from the countryside and there it’s kind of like that, with ‘I’m not going to do these sessions, because I’m not crazy’, or something like that.

“Because people from the countryside have this prejudice, my family has this prejudice. So, there came a time when I understood that I needed help. And several people told me that too. So, I sought psychological help and the teacher has really helped me.”

ESPN state the South American ‘had to overcome prejudice’ in order to take treatment from a psychologist. This has clearly helped him and he’s now advised those struggling mentally to also seek help from a professional.

“I felt a lot [prejudice]. There is this prejudice, and I ask people to do it, because it’ll help a lot. I think that after you do the first session, you will understand what it means to do the sessions with the psychologist,” the player added.

“I was very happy. I’m still doing it today and I’ll continue doing it, because it has helped me a lot.”

Richarlison has already found his happiness again and will be hoping to extend his good run when Ange Postecoglou’s side travel to Old Trafford on Sunday.