Athletico’s Jack Pitt-Brooke revealed that Richarlison has wanted to play as a central striker since he arrived at Tottenham and was not happy when Antonio Conte played him as a winger last season.
Richarlison has undergone a stunning turnaround since returning to the game in December following groin surgery.
The Brazilian is now showing the quality in the final third that convinced the Lilywhites to spend £60 million on his arrival 18 months ago.
With a superb goal on his return to Goodison Park last week, he has already scored 10 Premier League goals (and three assists) this season and Ange Postecolgou is hoping he can continue his hot streak in front of goal.
Richarlison is much more comfortable playing in the centre of the pitch:
Although there is no doubt that he is playing much more confidently now than he did last season or at the start of this campaign, Pitt-Brooke has hinted that the fact that Richarlison is now playing as a number nine has also contributed to the striker’s turnaround, although there is no doubt that he is playing much more confidently now than he did last season or at the start of this campaign, but there is no doubt that Richarlison is now playing as a number nine has also contributed to the striker’s turnaround, although there is no doubt that he is playing as a number nine.
He told The View From The Lane podcast: “The confidence element is linked to the football element, because he always wanted to play as a number nine. Even when Harry Kane was at the club, he used to get upset because he didn’t play as a central striker.
“Now you could say that if you wanted to play as a centre forward and you knew they already had Harry Kane, you shouldn’t have gone to Tottenham at all.
“But he did. And he didn’t particularly enjoy being in midfield or on the bench, because he wouldn’t really have if he wanted to play as a striker.”
When Richarlison returned from injury in December, it would have been a simple decision for Anzhet to put the Brazilian on the left and continue with Son in the number nine role.
However, the Australian decided to trust Richarlison with the central striker role, even though the 26-year-old did not do well in that position at the start of the season, and the former Everton man is now doing well to repay his manager’s trust.