Richarlison has shed light on the emotional and physical pain he endured in his battle to keep Everton in the Premier League.
A central figure for the Blues during his final season at the club in 2021/22, the Brazilian's goals proved pivotal as the team rallied in the final weeks to steer clear of the bottom three.
Scoring six times in the final nine outings of this campaign, the now Tottenham Hotspur forward was a key difference between survival and relegation. His most crucial strike arrived in a 1-0 triumph over Chelsea at the start of May, which he followed up with a goal of equal importance in the unforgettable 3-2 comeback win over Crystal Palace.
Richarlison would later sign for Spurs after helping to keep the Blues afloat, with the majority of fans wishing him well after four years of stellar service. Making clear just how committed to the cause he was, Richarlison has opened up on how he was prepared to put his body on the line despite feeling unable to partake in matches, and how he completely shutdown social media to avoid unnecessary distractions.
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"We were at risk of relegation. I was exhausted. I lost weight, and I could barely play an entire game. I had been injured in the Olympics, and I was injured again at the club. My body was asking me to stop," the 26-year-old told The Players' Tribune of his last season at Goodison Park.
"But it was simple: I had to help save the club. Everton do not belong in the Championship. Can you imagine? We had no choice. We had to stay up. To concentrate on helping the team, I did a two-month fast on my cell phone. I completely turned off my apps and social media. I only used the alarm clock app to wake up in the morning. Before the match against Crystal Palace, I was destroyed. I knew this was going to be my last game of the season. I thought, we need to save ourselves now at Goodison Park, because the final round is against Arsenal away."
"I took some medicine and an injection and got down on my knees to pray. I refused to take a medical exam, because I knew that if I did it, they wouldn’t let me play. I had to sweat blood that day," Richarlison said of the Palace victory. "When we scored the third goal, you can see that I had nothing left to give. I hit the ground with my head and said to the coach in tears: 'I’m done'. It was my last breath, my last sacrifice, my last game as an Evertonian. A moment I will carry with me for the rest of my life, because I loved playing for this club. In the end, we stayed up. Where the club belongs. And I’m very proud of the sacrifice I made that year."
