Richarlison opens up about his Everton form, Brazil ambitions and shooting practice with Gylfi Sigurdsson

For a player whose fee ‘ruined the transfer market’, Richarlison has had a pretty good season for Everton.

The Brazilian’s header against Chelsea last time out took his goal tally to 13 in all competitions – 12 of those in the Premier League.

That puts him level with the likes of Romelu Lukaku and Alexandre Lacazette in the top scorers chart with only seven players scoring more in the Premier League so far.

That record is even more remarkable when you consider his age. Of players aged 21 or under, only Kylian Mbappe and Luka Jovic have scored more league goals than Richarlison in Europe’s top five divisions this season.

You then have to consider that he has played in a variety of positions and in a side that has struggled for consistent form since December.

Despite that patchy form, Everton have at least delivered much more offensive football under Marco Silva compared to the soporific, defensive tactics employed by Sam Allardyce this time last season.

Speaking to Everton’s official website about his campaign, the former Watford man was keen to praise his fellow forwards and the team’s attacking style for helping him to maintain his form.

“It is very important to have so many strong attacking players.

“We are a group that wants to reach a very high level together.

“It is vital to have players who, during a match, can pull off something – a trick, a piece of skill, a bit of genius – which can decide the game. And we have those players at Everton.”

Two of those players are Gylfi Sigurdsson and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, both of whom have been in fine form in recent weeks.

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Sigurdsson’s goal against Chelsea ensured he remained level with Richarlison at the top of Everton’s goalscoring charts. Calvert-Lewin meanwhile has scored two in his last four games and earned widespread praise for his performance against the Londoners last time out.

Richarlison has revealed that the trio have been working on their finishing in training.

“I am always working on this in training. At the end of every session, me, Dominic and Gylfi spend 10 or 20 minutes practising our shooting.

“It is good for our confidence.

“And also because we know, sometimes in a match we can take a shot from distance that can decide the game. The manager wants us to be brave and always trying to score goals.

“Me and Gylfi have a friendly competition when we practise.

“Sometimes I win, sometimes I lose. It goes back and forth a little bit.”

Richarlison’s form this campaign has also seen him break into the full Brazil squad and he is expected to feature again for Selecao against Czech Republic in Prague on Tuesday evening.

“I am motivated to play at a level which helps Everton and keeps me in the Brazil squad.

“It is great for my confidence to be with Brazil.

“To think I am in the squad? I have been watching Brazil since I was a little kid.

“It is a very, very difficult thing to get into the Brazil national team, so when you achieve that it makes you really happy and you want it to continue for as long as possible.

“It is a big responsibility to play for Brazil. But I know how to deal with it. I feel at home and very happy with the national team.

“Even with the responsibility, I am very proud I can go and be in that environment.”

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