Tottenham and Brazil star Richarlison has revealed he suffered from depression after 'everything fell apart' following the 2022 World Cup.
Richarlison scored three goals as Brazil's starting forward at the World Cup in Qatar, with his scissor kick against Serbia in the group stage winning goal of the tournament.
The 26-year-old admitted in a tearful interview with ESPN Brasil that he suffered from depression in the aftermath of the tournament, where the five-time winners were eliminated in the quarter-finals.
Richarlison revealed he had told his dad he wanted to 'give up' amid issues off the pitch, adding that he had 'searched about death' on the internet.
The Tottenham forward announced in September that he would seek 'psychological help' after he was seeing crying on the bench during an international break with Brazil.
He claimed that seeing a psychologist has helped to 'save his life'.
'I'd just played in a World Cup, man, at my peak,' Richarlison said. '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.
'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.
'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, for you to be talking to the person.
'Today a [psychologist] came to thank me for taking this to the world of football, to the world, outside the pitch too, because it is very important and, whether we like it or not, it saves lives.'
The forward had reportedly split from his long-term agent Renato Velasco last year over a reported financial dispute. His agent had supported him from the start of his career.
Richarlison admitted that previously he had been prejudice to the idea, stating that members of his family thought anyone seeing a psychologist was 'crazy'.
Richarlison said that seeing a psychologist has been the 'best discovery I've ever had in my life'.
He last week welcomed the move from the Brazilian Football Confederation to appoint Marisa Lucia Santiago as the national team's psychologist.
Richarlison has scored 11 goals in 26 matches this season for Tottenham, with the forward enjoying a run of form after undergoing groin surgery in November.
He was an unused substitute in Brazil’s two friendlies during the international break against England and Spain.
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