MX23RW : Saturday, October 1 06:19:52| >> :120:20365:20365:

Richarlison: 'Everton suffering from a lack of ambition'

Richarlison: 'Everton suffering from a lack of ambition'
© Reuters
Tottenham Hotspur attacker Richarlison reveals that a "lack of ambition" from Everton was one of his key reasons for leaving the club this summer.

Former Everton striker Richarlison believes that a "lack of ambition" is holding the Toffees back from achieving success following his exit from Goodison Park.

The Brazil international arrived on Merseyside in a £35.2m deal from Watford in 2018 and quickly established himself as a key member of the Toffees' attack.

Richarlison registered 53 goals and 14 assists in 152 outings for Everton, but the Toffees are no longer challenging in and around the top seven European places.

The 25-year-old finished eighth in his debut season with the club under Marco Silva, but Everton have since recorded 12th, 10th and 16th-placed finishes in the division.

Having secured a big-money move to Tottenham Hotspur in the summer, Richarlison does not believe that Everton possess an "eagerness" to compete for silverware.

Richarlison in action for Tottenham Hotspur in July 2022© Reuters

"It's always a tough call when you have such strong connections with your club, and that was definitely the case for me. I was happy at Everton and I'm grateful for everything I learned there. It's a big club with a lot of history," Richarlison told FourFourTwo.

"However, 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. 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."

Richarlison's final season at Goodison Park saw him amass 10 goals and five assists in 30 Premier League outings, ultimately helping Frank Lampard's side avoid a first-ever relegation from the Premier League.

The South American struggled with knee and calf injuries for a good chunk of the term, though, and he is keen to put that chapter behind him as he embarks on a new adventure in North London.

Everton's Richarlison on April 6, 2022© Reuters

"It was a very stressful season, to be honest. We had a lot of injuries and the squad wasn't big enough to cope. I personally had some issues, too," Richarlison added.

"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 has recorded two goals and two assists in seven outings for Tottenham so far, with both of those strikes coming in a 2-0 Champions League win over Marseille.

Dejan Kulusevski, Son Heung-min and Harry Kane started the season as Antonio Conte's front three, but Richarlison had demoted the former to the bench in recent weeks.

However, Son - who is still waiting for his first goal of the season - has taken up a spot on the bench for Saturday's Premier League clash with Leicester City.

ID:494891:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect5918:

Click here for more stories about Richarlison

Click here for more stories about Tottenham Hotspur

Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
Harry Kane in action for Tottenham Hotspur on September 7, 2022
Read Next:
Harry Kane out to break Alan Shearer record against Leicester
>
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free match previews newsletter! Updates are sent twice a week.
rhs 2.0
Todays Game Header Right
Premier League
Championship
Scottish Premiership
La Liga
Serie A
Bundesliga
Ligue 1
Eredivisie
Primeira Liga
League One
League Two
National League
National League North
National League South
Scottish Championship
Scottish League One
Scottish League Two
Turkish Super Lig
Belgian Pro League
Greek Superleague
Swiss Super League
Russian Premier League
Ukrainian Premier League
Norwegian Eliteserien
Swedish Allsvenskan
NIFL Premiership
League of Ireland Premier
Welsh Premier League
Belarusian Premier League
Segunda Division
Serie B
2.Bundesliga
Ligue 2
Copa Sudamericana
Major League Soccer
Brasileiro
Argentine Primera Division
Uruguayan Primera Division
Liga MX
J1 League
Premier League 2 - Div 1
International Friendlies
Gallagher Premiership
Tables
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Arsenal76011771018
2Manchester CityMan City75202361717
3Tottenham HotspurSpurs75201871117
4Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton6411115613
5Manchester UnitedMan Utd640288012
6Fulham73221211111
7Chelsea631289-110
8Liverpool623115699
9Brentford7232151239
10Newcastle UnitedNewcastle71518718
11Leeds UnitedLeeds6222101008
12Bournemouth7223619-138
13Everton714256-17
14Southampton7214711-47
15Aston Villa7214610-47
16Crystal Palace613279-26
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves713337-46
18West Ham UnitedWest Ham711539-64
19Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest7115617-114
20Leicester CityLeicester70161022-121

Subscribe to our Newsletter


Match previews - Daily
Transfer Talk Daily
Morning Briefing (7am UTC)
Ultra close-up image of Kevin De Bruyne [NOT FOR USE IN ARTICLES]Get the latest transfer news, match previews and news direct to your inbox!