'Pain that seemed to have no end' - Richarlison sends hugely emotional message on mental struggle & reveals turning point as injury-plagued season ends in silverware with Tottenham

The Brazilian striker appeared in only 24 matches across all competitions this season and clocked 942 minutes on the pitch. He remained sidelined for a large part of the campaign due to multiple injuries. In March, the player had opened up on battling depression following Brazil's 2022 World Cup exit and revealed he even had suicidal thoughts.

The miserable start to the season, however, turned into a dream at the very end as Richarlison and Tottenham Hotspur finally won a trophy, beating Manchester United 1-0 in the Europa League final and securing a slot in the Champions League. As the season came to an end on Sunday, the 28-year-old shared an emotional message on social media.

On Instagram, Richarlison wrote: "When this season started, all I wanted was to be healthy to help my team have a better year. I knew it would be important to me mentally and also to finally repay somehow the love I've received these past few years from Spurs fans and all those who cheer me on. Nobody said it would be easy, but they also didn't imagine it would be this hard. There were days and nights of much anxiety, treatments, pain and a martyr that seemed to have no end. But there was! And it was when I returned to Brazil, for a week, in February, after another injury, that things started to change. Being around mine in those days changed a lot for me. Had me feeling like old Charlin, the kid who just wanted to play ball. Being in the field has always been therapeutic for me, even before I discovered the power of therapy. It's my best medicine and the one that cures almost all my problems. And it was like that, playing ball without fear, without fear, until my legs could no longer take fatigue and cramping, that I left the field on Wednesday. With a trophy in hands, heart full of joy and with my team, so undiscredited during the season, champion! Thank you to everyone who has been by my side and been part of this very special moment, always believing and encouraging me even in the most difficult moments. Thank you to Tottenham - management, players, technical committee, staff - and my whole staff - for making it happen together! And we're going for more!"

After winning a European medal, the striker is now all set to be named in the upcoming Brazil squad, as GE reports that Carlo Ancelotti is likely to include the Tottenham star in his first-ever Selecao team. If he does get picked, this will be Richarlison's first national team appearance since October 2023.