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Tottenham Hotspur deciding to play Richarlison in an EFL Trophy game on Tuesday night left Cheltenham Town boss Steve Cotterill ‘chuffed’.
Cotterill’s Robins hosted Spurs Under-21s at Whaddon Road for their Southern Group A clash in the EFL Trophy.
Richarlison was among the starters for the Lilywhites, having been left out of Roberto De Zerbi’s Premier League squad this season amid interest in his services around deadline day.
Spurs made the call to hand him game time in the EFL Trophy clash and his presence was the real talking point.
The Brazilian forward opened the scoring for the visitors, who looked on course to claim their first win in the competition before George Miller struck a late equaliser in added time.
The tie went to a penalty shootout, where Richarlison converted his spot-kick, but Cheltenham ultimately prevailed 7-6.
Cotterill admitted he had not anticipated seeing the 29-year-old feature for Spurs Under-21s, but was delighted to find his name on the team-sheet.
He feels the Brazilian’s presence gave his players a valuable glimpse of the level required to compete at the top, making it a worthwhile experience for his squad.
When asked whether he had expected to see the likes of Richarlison, Cotterill told the club’s in-house media: “No, no, we were not expecting it, but it was good.
“When I found he was on the team-sheet, I was chuffed with that, really.
“I was really pleased.
“It just really gives our lads just a little glimpse of what it is like [to play] at that top level.
“So, that was great tonight for us.”
Last night’s appearance was Richarlison’s first professional outing since featuring for Tottenham’s senior side in their opening-day defeat to Brentford in August.
The 29-year-old is also understood to be seeking an early termination of his contract due to his limited involvement, although his entourage believe Tottenham are unlikely to entertain that possibility.
With a parting of ways seemingly on the horizon, a January sale of the 54-cap Brazil international now appears to be the most likely outcome.