Richarlison reveals main reason for Everton exit
Richarlison has revealed that he made the switch to Tottenham from Everton this summer because of a ‘lack of ambition’ from the Goodison Park club.
After four seasons in the Premier League with the Toffees, the Brazilian forward joined Antonio Conte’s Spurs for £60m this summer.
The Brazil international, who has signed a five-year deal with the North London club, had earned cult status on Merseyside after consistently delivering crucial performances.
And in an interview with FourFourTwo, he explained how difficult it was to depart the club that held him in such high regard.
‘It’s always a tough call when you have such strong connections with your club, and that was definitely the case for me,’ Richarlison said.
‘I was happy at Everton and I’m grateful for everything I learned there. It’s a big club with a lot of history.’
However, despite detailing the difficulty he had in opting to leave Everton, the 25-year-old explained that he felt the club were still a long way away from returning to former glories.
‘Perhaps they’re suffering with a lack of ambition nowadays. You know, that eagerness to win matches and trophies. I spent four years there and I could see there was still a very long way to go to achieve big things,’ he said.
‘I felt it was the right time to move on, and the club also had to make some money. It was a good deal for everyone involved. I’m delighted with this new challenge at Spurs.’
The Brazil international opened up on Everton’s struggles last season, when Frank Lampard’s squad narrowly escaped relegation from the top flight.
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‘It was a very stressful season, to be honest,’ Richarlison added. ‘We had a lot of injuries and the squad wasn’t big enough to cope.
‘I personally had some issues, too. As soon as the previous Premier League campaign had finished, I played in the Copa America, then the Olympic Games, and then the Premier League started again. I had no break and sustained a few injuries during the season.’
Richarlison made 152 appearances in all competitions during his four-year stint at Goodison Park, scoring 53 goals in the process.