Rangers defender Ben Godfrey has been spotted showing support for former teammate Richarlison after the exiled Tottenham Hotspur forward resurfaced with a dramatic comeback goal on his return to action.
The £60million Brazil international has endured a challenging period in North London. Having been left out of Roberto De Zerbi’s 25-man Premier League squad following an opening-day defeat to Brentford, Richarlison saw proposed transfer moves to Everton, Trabzonspor, and Vasco da Gama fall through before the summer deadline.
However, after almost two months without competitive playing time, the 29-year-old made his unexpected return to action on Tuesday (13 October) evening, featuring as an overage player for Tottenham’s Under-21 side in their EFL Trophy clash against Cheltenham Town.
Richarlison made an immediate impression, striking a second-half equaliser in the 56th minute to pull Spurs back into the contest at 1-1. The match ultimately finished 2-2 and headed to a dramatic penalty shootout, where Richarlison converted his spot-kick before Tottenham Under-21s suffered a narrow 7-6 defeat.
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Following the outing, the Brazilian took to Instagram to break his silence and express his relief at being back on the pitch. He wrote: “Happy to do what I love most in life. I was missing it!”
The social media update drew significant attention, with Chelsea’s Joao Pedro and Tottenham’s Xavi Simons among those to write supportive messages in the comment section. Godfrey was also among the high-profile figures to respond, with the Rangers defender hitting ‘like’ on the post.
Godfrey and Richarlison spent two seasons together at Everton between 2020 and 2022, sharing the pitch 51 times for the Toffees under Carlo Ancelotti, Rafael Benitez, and Frank Lampard. The duo formed a close personal bond on Merseyside before Richarlison sealed a marquee move to Spurs and Godfrey spent two more years there, before eventually ending up at Rangers.
With Richarlison currently frozen out of Premier League squad registration until the January transfer window opens, Godfrey’s public gesture highlights the enduring bond between the former Toffees teammates as the Brazilian strives to maintain match sharpness.