In an interview with global media ‘ESPN’ on the 28th (Korea Standard Time), Hishalisson shed tears while talking about the heartache that has plagued him for the past year or so.
ESPN reported that Hishalisson had to deal with depression after the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. “I was in agony and went so far as to have extreme thoughts.”
“After the Qatar World Cup, I experienced many things from my friends who I had been with for more than seven years. It was crazy and I didn’t want to go to the training. I just wanted to go home,” Hishalisson said. “I even told my father ‘I want to give up’.”
“I felt very good during the World Cup. But everything collapsed after the World Cup. I only had bad thoughts and was searching for things about death on the Internet. I won’t even say suicide with my own mouth. At that time, I wanted to give up,” he said, sobbing.
What drove Hishalisson to such a turbulent time was his separation from his agent. He hurt his feelings in the process of breaking up with Renato Velasco, who had been with him since his early days as a professional golfer, due to financial problems. Hishalisson said, “The therapists saved my life. When I only saw death in full swing, I needed a psychologist. I opened my heart to them, talked to people, and my condition improved.”
Hishalisson moved from Everton to Tottenham ahead of last season.
Tottenham paid 60 million pounds (about 100 billion won) to Everton to recruit Hishalisson. The investment was made with high expectations that he would play a key role in Tottenham’s offense along with Harry Kane and Son Heung-min.
However, he only scored three goals in 35 matches last season. He only scored one goal in the Premier League. As he was pushed out of the competition with Kulusevski to become a starting member, he hardly had time to play.
Kane was expected to take the vacant position this season when he moved to Bayern Munich, and had a chance to play as a starting pitcher from the opening game, but failed to score a single goal in the opening four matches of the Premier League. He scored only one goal in the Cup. There were doubts and criticisms against Hishalisson.
Unlike Tottenham, the Brazilian national team continued to show sluggish performance. He missed several scoring opportunities in the match against Bolivia on Thursday, and was seen crying on the bench after going out as a substitute.
British media Daily Mail reported in September last year, “Hishalisson has been under mental stress for several months. He will seek psychological treatment from Tottenham to resolve the issue,” adding, “However, Hishalisson does not want rest from soccer. He cannot stand not being able to play. Rather, I hope he will focus more on soccer.”
It was a psychotherapist who helped Hishalisson who was depressed. Perhaps because of this, Hishalisson is now focusing on soccer again. “The psychotherapist took me to soccer. It was a very important discovery for me, and I express my gratitude,” Hishalisson said. His performance at Tottenham also improved dramatically. Hishalisson started scoring his first goal of this season in the match against Sheffield United in the fifth round, and scored goals in three consecutive matches starting with a multi-goal against Newcastle United at the end of last year. He seems to have overcome the pain by scoring double digits with 10 goals in the English Premier League this season.
Tottenham’s captain Son Heung-min was particularly active. He roared after scoring the equalizer in a match against Sheffield United in September last year, when he was suffering from a mental illness. “He had been struggling since last week, and I was thinking about how I could help him,” Son said after the match. Clutch Point in the U.S. spotlighted Son’s remarks, saying, “It is proof of the strong bond within the team and the unity of Tottenham’s squad.”
British media ‘Mirror’ reported on the 19th that “Hishalisson expressed hope that his mental health problems and his recovery would inspire others.”
Brazil will have a friendly match with England on Sunday. Hishalisson, who joined the Brazilian national team, also told reporters that he had difficulties and how he overcame them.
“Psychotherapy is really important in the life of an athlete. All athletes should get that support. It’s really helpful. Now I’m focusing on soccer when I play.”
“People should have the courage to ask for help to live a better life,” he added.
BY: 스포츠토토