Neymar is my idol and now I play with him… but I can’t copy his hair! INTERVIEW
SAYS EVERTON’S £44m BRAZIL SENSATION RICHARLISON
THE ultimate seal of approval came from the tip of a felt pen. In the dressing room after Brazil had thrashed El Salvador 5-0, Richarlison handed his shirt over and Neymar began to scribble.
His message for the newest member of the group was simple but the significance of the words will never be lost. When Richarlison was growing up in the southern Brazilian town of Nova Venecia, Everton’s £44million forward idolised Neymar to the point that he copied his outlandish mohawk hairstyle.
Now here he was, sitting next to his idol, having marked his Brazil debut with two goals, one of which Neymar assisted. Life could not have been any better for Richarlison but that’s exactly what happened when Paris Saint-Germain’s superstar gave the shirt back.
‘He wrote a message,’ says Richarlison, whose displays have been rewarded with another call-up for Brazil next month.
‘It said, “God bless you, golden boy”. I have Neymar’s shirt from that game, as well as my own. I am going to get them framed and put them in a room in my house, so that when people come to visit they can see this.
‘Neymar has been my idol since childhood. I’ve always followed his progress and always tried to mirror myself in the way he plays. I’ve also tried imitating some of his haircuts! I wanted the mohawk but I didn’t have the right products and after five minutes my hair would flop down! I remembered this (while we were on international duty). During lunchtime one day, I told him and this made the whole room fall about laughing! They thought it was hilarious. Playing with him was an unforgettable experience.’
Richarlison needs an interpreter to convey the full story but no help is required to understand the pride that is etched all over his face. A blistering start to life at Goodison Park propelled the 21-year-old into Brazil’s squad and, if this form is maintained, it will not be his last.
This journey, after all, is fastpaced. From a relative unknown 15 months ago, he has zoomed from Fluminense via Watford to Everton and a place in the Selecao, a stinging riposte to those — including his mother, Vera Lucia — who told him he was wasting his time pursuing a career in football.
‘When I played against El Salvador, I thought about the problems I had growing up,’ he says. ‘People told me I wouldn’t make it, that it wasn’t possible. But I did make it.
‘I got to where I am with my own will and determination. I believed in the potential I had. Mum would tell me I needed to get a proper job but I didn’t want to be anything other than a footballer.
‘This led to some tension. It was something I dreamed of and I fought until the very end. My dad believed in me more than anyone did. I think he is the proudest that I made my debut for Brazil. I wanted to chase my dreams.’
Richarlison’s return from suspension tomorrow will lift an Everton side whose good start has been checked by a recent draw with Huddersfield and last Sunday’s loss to West Ham. His red card at Bournemouth arguably cost Everton two points and his decision to push his head into Adam Smith, however gently, is something that has tormented him.
‘What happened was my decision, I got sent off because of something I did on my own,’ says Richarlison, who had a meeting with manager Marco Silva to apologise. ‘It was a strange feeling when I went into the dressing room because I’m not an aggressive player; it’s not what I’m like.’
You can see he has a point to prove and he wants to make it tomorrow — at Arsenal’s expense. In this mood, you would not bet against him scoring again and on the bus en route to the Emirates, he will go through a tradition to get in the mood. ‘I watch the goals of Ronaldo, Adriano and Neymar,’ he says. ‘When I am on the pitch, I try to replicate what they do.
‘I also now have the goals I scored from Brazil. On the flight back to Liverpool, I watched them about 50 times! It has been hard not playing. I was in the stadium last Sunday, watching my teammates give their all, wishing I could be alongside them doing the same. The red card was upsetting but I’ve learned. It won’t happen again.’