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Thomas Frank lauds ‘top’ Tottenham department for ‘remarkable’ achievement

Originally posted on To The Lane And Back
By Rohan Sengupta | Last updated Oct 4, 2025 9:19 AM ET

Tottenham boss Thomas Frank has given huge credit to the medical department for helping Richarlison get back fit

After four strong seasons with Everton, Richarlison had joined Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2022. He arrived for a fee of £50m plus £10m in potential add-ons amid lot of fanfare and expectations.

Unfortunately, the 28-year-old has not lived up to the lofty expectations of the fans and club alike. He has been let down by persistent injury problems, especially in the last two years. This has led to stop-start campaigns for Richarlison in a Spurs shirt, leaving the fans frustrated. The Brazilian was one of the several victims of an injury crisis that hit the Lilywhites last season. Yet, he recovered on time to play in the UEFA Europa League final in Bilbao and help his team beat Manchester United 1-0.

It was felt that new boss Thomas Frank would offload Richarlison in the summer and replace him with a new striker. To almost everyone’s surprise, the forward has been a regular fixture in the Tottenham side under Thomas Frank after he decided to stay in north London. He has started every Premier League game for the Lilywhites in the absence of Dominic Solanke, netting three goals and supplying an assist.

Thomas Frank praises Tottenham’s medical department for keeping Richarlison fit

Richarlison missed 45 games for club and country last season through a combination of thigh, hamstring and calf injuries. So, it was a challenge for him to stay fit this term and impress the new boss.

The forward has done well to become a key player since the start of the 2025/26 season, and Frank has praised the Tottenham’s medical department for their management of Richarlison’s fitness. Addressing the media ahead of Spurs’ trip to Leeds United, the Danish tactician said the medical staff deserve huge credit for helping Richarlison get back fit.

“I would say I think the medical department has done a top job in terms of building him,” Frank told Hayters TV.

“I think it’s quite remarkable that he’s fit, in company with his history. We took some good decisions for example in the first friendly we played he was just too short of fitness so he didn’t play the final 45 minutes.

“There’s been times such as when he came back from last international break, where we didn’t start him. We haven’t been forced into games where we had to play him, so I think he’s building an extra layer which is good.”

Richarlison needs to bring consistency to his game

Frank has been hamstrung by injury problems in the front line, with Dominic Solanke and Randal Kolo Muani missing several games. With Solanke set for a spell on the sidelines after undergoing ankle surgery, the onus to lead the attack and score goals has fallen on the shoulders of Richarlison.

Going by Richarlison’s track record, the forward has lacked consistency all his Spurs career. TalkSPORT chief correspondent Alex Crook has called the Brazilian “brilliant or useless” and urged Spurs to improve their striker options in 2026. Now that the Tottenham forward has shown signs of an improvement in terms of fitness even if the season is just two months old, Richarlison must now look to bring consistency to his game and become a reliable source of goals for Frank’s side.

This article first appeared on To The Lane And Back and was syndicated with permission.

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