I wanted to shoot myself in the head – Jesus

Gabriel Jesus admits he can put himself under too much pressure to score after coming out of a recent goalscoring drought, revealing he feels like he wants to “shoot himself in the head” when he cannot find the net.

The Manchester City striker netted a hat-trick in Wednesday’s 4-1 victory over Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League to take his tally to five goals in three games.

But that run has come on the back of eight appearances without a goal, and the 22-year-old says a run without scoring can start to play on his mind.

“Honestly, last month I was no good and I wasn’t happy. I played eight or nine games and I didn’t score and I missed chances so I’m not happy with that,” he said.

“When this happens of course I cannot be happy. Sometimes football is like that. You have to keep working hard and try to score, try to help the team and work and that’s what I have done.

“Always I think: ‘Wow I have to score’ because I’m playing for a big club in big competitions with big players.

“I think it happens with other players. I cannot talk about other players I can only talk about me when I’m not happy with me I want to shoot myself in the head because it’s difficult for me.

“I take it [personally] of course. I think: ‘Oh my god I have to score, I have to score, I have to score’. When I have the chance sometimes I miss because I think too much and put too much pressure on myself. I try. I’m getting better. I’m working to score and don’t think about the pressure.”

It was a night of personal milestones for Jesus as he became the youngest Brazilian to 10 goals in the Champions League – surpassing Neymar – and the youngest player to score more than one hat-trick in the competition.

Read Also: Jesus breaks Neymar’s Champions League record as he reaches 100 career goal

Jesus also passed a century of goals in his career with his third against Dinamo taking him to a combined total of 101 for City, Palmeiras and Brazil.