Emerson Royal claims Richarlison was ‘very stubborn’ when he first made the move from Everton to Tottenham, but the Brazilian has improved over time (Desimpedidos).
Some eyebrows were raised when Tottenham decided to spend £60m on Richarlison in the summer of 2022 (SkySports), and those concerns only grew after his first season in North London.
In 27 Premier League games across his debut Spurs season, Richarlison managed just one goal as he often played second-fiddle to Harry Kane in the number 9 position (TransferMarkt).
However, since undergoing groin surgery and investing time into his mental health, Richarlison has elevated his game on the pitch so far this year, netting 10 goals in 22 appearances (TransferMarkt).
Richarlison was too stubborn when he joined Spurs
Emerson Royal, who was already settled at Tottenham when Richarlison arrived, says his compatriot was too stubborn during the early part of his Spurs career. He believes that Richarlison is now thriving because he is listening to others, accepting help, and expanding his mind.
Emerson said: “Now that I see him scoring every game, for me it’s a lot of happiness.
“Every day I say ‘Pombo, focus on the game, a ball will come to you, you’ll score, you’ll continue with the national team, you’ll be the best, you will, you will’. He’s a guy, since I’ve known him, he’s improved a lot in all aspects, especially in listening.
“He was very stubborn, very stubborn and he started to understand that his world is not just him and his room, his house, there is another world outside that can help him and make him more.
“Everyone who knows him, that I see through my friends saying ‘Pombo has changed a lot, Pombo today is a different guy, today Pombo shares more ideas, he’s not as closed off’ and I believe that this thing he did, this psychological counselling is what expanded his mind, and is making him grow for the future ahead of him.”
Spurs Web Opinion:
It has been nice to see Richarlison make so much progress away from the pitch, as well as on it, over the past 12 months. Mental health is not talked about enough in football and seeing a high-profile player be so open about it can only be a good thing for the next generation.