Richarlison scored for Tottenham Under-21s on Tuesday night and he took to social media to express his delight at being back on the pitch.
Richarlison took to social media after scoring for Tottenham Under-21s on Tuesday night.
The Brazil international has not played for Spurs since August 22 after Roberto De Zerbi left him out of the 25-man squad for the Premier League. According to De Zerbi, the 29-year-old repeatedly asked to leave the club this summer despite his strong performances in pre-season, but was rejected by his former club Everton and Vasco da Gama in the summer.
With Spurs only able to name 17 non-local players in their league-registered squad, Richarlison was left out by the Lilywhites’ new signings after spending more than £300m. Richarlison’s representatives have explored ways to extend his contract at Tottenham, which runs until next summer, with the club having an option to extend for a further 12 months, but are yet to find a way out.
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It came as a surprise to everyone when Richarlison was named in the squad for Tottenham Under-21s on Tuesday evening when Wayne Burnett’s side hosted Cheltenham in the Jersey Mike’s Cup. The Brazilian, who scored 20 goals for his country, would take his place on the left of the young Spurs attack as an overage player.
He also made an impact in the second half as he headed home James Rowswell’s cross with a well-taken goal. Richarlison celebrated the goal with a number of young Spurs players starting to do his trademark pigeon celebration.
Richarlison played the full game in a 2-2 draw and also scored a penalty in Tottenham’s 7-6 loss, giving Cheltenham an extra point.
After the match, Richarlison took to Instagram to show that he was enjoying his return to the pitch. He told his 21 million followers, “I’m happy to be doing what I love most in life. I missed it!”
Tottenham teammates Destiny Udogie, Mathys Tel and Junai Byfield were among those who commented on the post. “Chelsea” striker Joao Pedro also expressed his feelings to his Brazilian colleague by commenting on a dove and fire emoji.
While Richarlison will no doubt enjoy his return to a Tottenham shirt, his future remains murky. He cannot feature for the first team until at least January, when the club’s registered Premier League squad could be changed, although it is highly unlikely that he will be included anyway.
Richarlison is likely to be available for Tottenham’s Under-21s on Saturday, this time against Leicester City U21s at Hotspur Way, ahead of Monday night’s match against Coventry, with Tottenham’s first team heading to Marbella for a warm-weather training camp this week.