Richarlison of Tottenham said he suffered troubling thoughts and was interested in giving up while he was battling depression following the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
The Brazilian revealed he seemed to need psychological help following the tournament, saying it was “the best discovery I’ve ever had in my life. Before I went to training, I wanted to go home. I wanted to go back to my room because I didn’t know what was going through my head. I even went and told my dad I was going to give up.”
“It’s kind of sad to talk like that, you know? What I went through after the World Cup was discovering things here at home from people who had lived with me for over seven years. It is crazy.”
“To go to my father, who was the guy who chased my dream with me, and say, ‘Dad, I want to give up,’ is crazy.”
The Tottenham Hotspur striker finished as Brazil’s leading scorer in the 2022 FIFA World Cup scoring three goals.
The Samba Boys failed to qualify for the semi-finals as they were eliminated by Croatia via a penalty shootout.
The elimination from the FIFA World Cup in Qatar was a big blow for the Tottenham Hotspur star. He said shortly after the tournament that losing the tournament was worse than losing a family member.
The striker proceeded, 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 though I seemed to be mentally strong, after the World Cup, it seemed like it all fell apart. I think the therapist, like it or not, saved me and saved my life. I only thought rubbish. Even on Google, I only searched for rubbish; I only wanted to see rubbish about death.”
“Today, I can say, look for a psychologist. If you need a psychologist, look for one because it’s nice for you to open up like that and to be talking to the person.”
“Today a psychologist came to thank me for taking this to the world of football and to the world outside the pitch too, because it is very important and, whether we like it or not, it saves lives.”
Richarlison Stats
The striker made 333 appearances, scoring 92 goals and creating 37 assists in all competitions. Richarlison had received 50 yellow cards and three red cards so far in his career.
Out of the 92 goals scored, 53 were for Everton, 14 for Tottenham, 11 for Fluminense, five for Watford, and nine for America-MG.
He made his international debut for Brazil on September 8, 2018. He went on to score 20 goals in 48 appearances.
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