Everything you need to know about the Brazilian striker!
Richarlison de Andrade, commonly known as Richarlison, is a Brazilian professional footballer who currently plays as a forward for Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League and the Brazilian national team.
Born on May 10, 1997, in Nova Venecia, Espirito Santo, Brazil, he began his footballing journey in his hometown, joining Real Noroeste as a youth player in 2013, moved to America Mineiro a year later and quickly rose through the ranks to make his first-team debut in 2015.
He was signed by Fluminense in 2016, signing a five-year deal with the Brazilian top-flight side before getting plucked by then-Premier League side Watford in July 2017 thanks to his impressive performances, which earned him recognition as one of the brightest talents in Brazilian football.
He made an instant impression at Vicarage Road, scoring five goals in his first 12 league games. His ability to score goals, create chances, and work tirelessly on the field endeared him to the Watford fans.
After a successful debut season in England, Richarlison attracted the interest of Everton. In July 2018, he completed a transfer to the Toffees for a reported fee of £35m, becoming the club's most expensive signing at the time.
The 26-year-old established himself as one of the most talented strikers in the Premier League during his tenure at Goodison Park, scoring 53 times in 152 appearances for the Merseyside club. He also played a critical role as the Toffees narrowly avoided relegation with a 16th-placed finish.
Richarlison joined Tottenham Hotspur from Everton in a £60m move in the summer of 2022. He endured a tough debut season in north London, but there's little doubt that he would come good and become a valuable asset for Spurs.
At the international level, Richarlison made his senior debut for Brazil in 2018. He was a member of both the Brazilian team that won the gold medal at the Olympics in 2020 and Copa America in 2019, while he also starred for the Selecao at the recent 2022 World Cup in Qatar. In total, he has scored 20 goals from 42 appearances for his country.
But what are the 13 things you absolutely need to know about the Spurs striker?
How a football saved Richarlison's life?⚽
Things could have turned out very differently had it not been for football. While we have heard this statement from quite a few footballers who have come from a poor background, it's quite literally the case with Richarlison as he owes his life to football.
When he was just 14 years old, an incident nearly resulted in his death. Having unknowingly wandered onto a drug dealer's turf while walking home late from a football game with his friends, the star forward had a gun pressed to his head.
The drug lord wasn't exactly pleased as he thought they had come to steal his drugs, but Richarlison called for his innocence showing the drug dealer the football. Eventually, the drug distributor let the youngster go with a stern warning never to return.
He later explained the situation in an interview, saying: "At that moment I was very afraid because he had pulled the trigger then it would have been over. The drug lord told us that if he found us again he would shoot us without any problem – me and my friends.
"After he lowered his gun, I turned away and started to run. I never went back to that street. I didn't say anything to him. I was very afraid."
AdvertisementGrueling beginnings
Even before his near-death experience, Richarlison's life was not a bed of roses. The striker was born in a slum area of Nova Venecia, a small town in southeastern Brazil with a population of 50,000, and he loved being outdoors playing football barefooted day and night.
He is the oldest of five children and only knew poverty as a youth. He managed to escape the rampant drug dealing and various other criminal activities by sticking close to football. His father was a construction worker while his mother did cleaning jobs, but both were separated.
By the time he was 11, he had to work to supplement his mother’s meagre income. Besides helping his grandfather on the farm, the young boy sold ice cream, popsicles, and washed cars before pursuing his passion for football.
Dad always believed in his football dream
As with many children from Brazil’s impoverished areas, football was Richarlison’s ticket out of a poor neighbourhood. But talent alone wasn’t going to be enough to propel him to superstardom.
In his very own words, Richarlison revealed there was no shortage of doubters during his footballing journey: “Some of my friends said I wouldn’t have a future in football, as did some of my family, but I still believed in the potential I had. My mum would tell me I needed to get a proper job but for me I didn’t want to be anything other than a footballer. That led to some tension and frustration between us. It was something I dreamed of doing and I fought until the very end.”
His father, Antonio Carlos de Andrade, though, identified his son's steely determination and burning desire to make it big in football and continued supporting him during tough moments. The bond between Richarlison and his father remains strong, with the player often expressing his gratitude and appreciation for his father's role in his success.
“My dad [Antonio Marcus] was the one who registered me in my first school and believed in me more than anyone. I think my dad is the proudest of anyone that I made my debut for Brazil. He and my uncle called me up before the game and said I would score two goals. It was a dream come true and the first goal I scored for Brazil will live with me forever.”
The last chance
His unwavering dedication paid off, earning him trials with Brazilian clubs Avai and Figueirense. But, just as quickly as his dream started to take off, it was shot down as he failed to impress in both trials, testing his resolve once again.
He joined Real Noroeste to play in the under-20 championship and caught the eye of a scout from America-MG, who invited him to try out for their youth academy in Belo Horizonte, some 350 miles from home.
It was the last trial. The last chance. Not only did he need to impress to get his dream back on track, but also because he had no money to pay for transportation back home. “I had a one-way ticket because I got hungry and spent the money for a return ticket on food. I had to succeed,” he revealed in an interview.
There was no safety net. No do-overs. He even had to borrow a pair of football boots to give his trial, but his gamble paid off when America-MG signed him to the academy in December 2014.