RICHARLISON INTERVIEW: How Ange Postecoglou got me through 'dark' times at Tottenham, what makes Thomas Frank so special and why my two years of hell will fuel my drive to dominate World Cup with Brazil

For a moment, it was if everything was joyful again for Richarlison .

Mohammed Kudus’ cross came in from the right, and in an instant, Tottenham ’s Brazilian striker swung his right boot and fired.

It was the opening day against Burnley , Richarlison’s second goal of the game, and the comparison to a happier time was clear.

Two and a half years previously, he had scored a strikingly similar goal for Brazil at the Qatar World Cup against Serbia, again as part of a brace.

This time, his acrobatics brought him back into the Brazil fold, and naturally the sights are already turning to something bigger.

He’s had a rough go of things in the last few years – injuries, mental health difficulties and struggles to live up to his £60million price tag in north London. With grit and perseverance, however, the tide seems to have changed.

Richarlison's overhead kick against Burnley on the opening day was a flashback to a happier time

He also scored a brilliant, and strikingly similar, acrobatic goal for Brazil at the 2022 World Cup

Richarlison finally feels healthy again after a tortured last few years following his £60m move to north London

‘I’m feeling good, more and more confident, and gradually getting my football back,’ he tells Daily Mail Sport.

He spoke to us as he prepares to put his stamp on the Selecao under Carlo Ancelotti – a man he spent 18 months playing for at Everton – in World Cup qualifiers against Chile and Bolivia this week, hoping to add to his 50 caps and 20 goals for the world’s most famous national team.

And here, in full, is our conversation with a Richarlison reborn.

You’re back from injury and scoring goals again – how are you feeling?

Since the Olympics (last summer), I had been struggling with physical problems and never had enough time to recover and play pain-free.

Last year, I got injured right after coming back from vacation, and when you rejoin the group, you can tell the guys are flying, and you’re still far behind physically. This year, I spoke with the coach (Thomas Frank) as soon as I got back, they made a plan for me, and it has been working.

All I ever wanted during this whole time was to be able to play without limitations and help my club and the national team. Now things are getting back on track.

Thomas Frank was quick to reassure the Brazilian that he is a key part of his plans when he arrived this summer

There were a lot of rumours about your future, but you committed to Tottenham. Is this the season of your life, just before the World Cup?

The day I came back from vacation, I had a very good conversation with the coach. I told him that I wanted to stay, that I wanted to prove I deserve to play and have the chance to help the club this season. It’s a matter of honour for me.

Tottenham invested a lot in my signing, they didn’t give up on me even when I was at my lowest. Now that things are changing and I feel good physically, I want the chance to give back to the club and the fans. I know I can deliver more.

Offers did come, but I always made it clear that my priority was to stay, and Thomas said he’s counting on me. So, I think that issue ended there, in that conversation. Every player needs that peace of mind, knowing that what comes from outside is just speculation and that you have backing within the club. Playing with uncertainty is very difficult.

For me, every season is the season of my life. Of course, the World Cup is an extra motivation, but I’ve always given everything for the clubs I played for and for the national team. I prepared myself a lot to handle the demanding season ahead, and I hope everything goes well.

There’s no Son Heung-min around now, for the first time in 10 years – how have you and the squad reacted?

Son is one of the greatest idols in the club’s history and became a great friend. It’s still strange to look to the side and not see him there during games.

He’s a legend for the fans and inside the club as well, because besides being a great player, he’s also a really good person.

I’ll always be rooting for him, wherever he is. I’m glad we still had time to help him win a trophy, because he really deserved to leave here with a big achievement.

Richarlison and Son Heung-min were firm friends at Spurs, before the latter's departure to Los Angeles FC this summer

What did it mean to you to win the Europa League with Tottenham?

Our last season wasn’t good in the Premier League and in the cups, but the Europa League became our focus in the last few months.

It’s a very important achievement for me, because I was coming back from a very complicated period with injuries and uncertainties, but also for Tottenham. It had been many years without a title, and we managed to give that gift to the fans.

Recently, the Super Cup title slipped away, having led Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 until the final five minutes. You were the better team, then lost the lead and lost on penalties. What happened there?

We played an excellent game against PSG. We deserved to win over 90 minutes, but that’s football.

They have a great team, one of the best in the world today, and they managed to equalise. I think we need to pay attention to what happened, so it doesn’t repeat — losing such a good advantage — but in that game, it was also a lot about their quality.

We were sad about the result because it was another trophy we could have won, but at the same time proud and confident, because we played as equals and our team showed that we can compete with anyone.

Richarlison started in Bilbao in may as Tottenham ended a 17-year trophy drought by beating Manchester United to win the Europa League

Richarlison had a strong relationship with Ange Postecoglou, having been guided through some of his worst moments at the club

What was your relationship like with Ange Postecoglou? And how is it now with Thomas Frank?

Ange is a spectacular guy. He was very important to me and is very loved by everyone at the club. He’s tough, he said he always wins championships in his second year, and he kept that promise.

Ange always talked a lot with me during his time at the club. In my worst moments, he always tried to help, and I’m very grateful for that. He knew about my desire to help the team but also understood the tough moment I was going through.

Honestly, I have nothing to complain about. When I had a run of games after my pubis surgery, I was performing well and scoring goals. It’s a shame I couldn’t do more for him on the pitch because of the injuries I had while he was manager.

Thomas is also a really nice guy. I think he has everything it takes to stay here at Tottenham for a long time and become a fan favorite. He’s one of the smartest coaches I’ve ever worked with.

The World Cup is now just nine months away - is the Brazil No 9 shirt yours for 2026?

I already fell into that trap about the No 9 shirt once, and I’m not falling again (he laughs). I suffered a lot of hate, and they use that statement to attack me to this day. When they asked me that question about being the ‘owner’ of the No. 9 shirt, I was coming off a run of 10 games and 10 goals with the national team, a good World Cup, and many people saw it as arrogance. What did they want me to say? That I didn’t deserve it? That I didn’t want it?

The national team is my life, man... and nothing has ever come easy for me. On the contrary!

Besides facing competition in my position, which might be the most contested in the team, I always had to prove more than others. Even before the World Cup, when I was doing well, scoring every game, the press always tried to push other players into my place.

Once, a journalist said he was rooting for me to get injured, so I’d be taken out of the team. I scored 20 goals in the last World Cup cycle, plus who knows how many assists, penalties won, even though I wasn’t a starter at the beginning… anyway.

Thank God, I’ve learned to live with that. I know pressure is part of the job too. In recent months, I distanced myself from social media, stopped following the news, and started focusing more on what really matters to me and my family. My son was also born in June. So today, my concerns are different. And that has helped me a lot.

Richarlison has 50 Brazil caps, scoring 20 times, and is keen to nail down the striker role at next summer's World Cup

Richarlison will be reunited in the Brazil squad with his former Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti, who is the first foreign manager in the Selecao's history

You and coach Carlo Ancelotti have a good relationship. How has this reunion been? What did you talk about in your first international window together?

Ancelotti was my coach in one of the best moments of my career, at Everton. He knows what I’m capable of doing to help the team, and it’s been great to have him in the national team.

He’s a fun guy, right? Likes to chat, joke around, but on the pitch he’s serious and one of the best in history. We talked a lot last time, he said he trusts me, gave me confidence.

I think I have much more to deliver for the national team, and I’ll do everything to live up to that trust he has in me and my football.

In the last Brazil squad, you promised to ‘train like a convict’ to come back in shape. We can already see a big difference. What can we expect from you now?

I have my goals for this year. The first is to stay healthy and keep at a high level throughout the year. That’s essential so I can help Tottenham perform well in the competitions we’ll play.

The World Cup is now nine months away and Richarlison wants to seize on this season to prove his worth

This year we’re back in the Champions League after two years, the Premier League, where we need to have a campaign worthy of the club, then the World Cup, and so on.

And I want to score goals, win titles, and be important for the club and the national team.

I hope it’s a blessed season and that I can crown all this work by playing another World Cup.