Arsenal star Torreira opens up on psychological struggles
Arsenal midfielder Lucas Torreira has opened up on his struggles after a difficult year both on and off the pitch.
Torreira joined the Gunners in 2018 and instantly became a fan favourite due to his tireless displays and bulldog-like approach.
However, the ex-Sampdoria man struggled in his second season, especially after the exit of Unai Emery, and was subsequently loaned to Atletico Madrid at the start of the 2020/21 campaign.
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The 25-year-old has opened up in an interview with Uruguayan outlet Ovacion Digital, discussing the loss of his mother last year and how he sought help from a psychologist.
“A year ago I had been working with a psychologist in Spain because when in the second year at Arsenal I played very little,” said Torreira.
“It was hard for me to really assimilate it because my life depends on football and when I don’t play I have a very bad time, I am in a very bad mood and I many things happen. That’s why I started with him and he was giving me a hand with that topic.
Lucas Torreira has opened up about his time at Arsenal and how he needed to see a psychologist to deal with a difficult period. 🇺🇾
Footballers aren’t robots and it’s time people stopped treating them like it.
We’re all behind you, @LTorreira34! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/LTn413HI17
— AFCnewsroom (@TheAFCnewsroom) July 27, 2021
“Out there many years ago they told you ‘but how are you going to go to a psychologist, are you crazy?’ And today it is very important, especially for us who live a lot of situations being away from the family.
“When my mother’s thing happened, I wanted to stop playing soccer, I wanted to stay in Fray Bentos with my family. I had very little desire to go back to Spain because I had to stay alone there.
“Luckily one of my brothers left with me, but I wanted to be here, with my father, because he was the one who was suffering the most and the one who was hurt the most by this whole situation.
“He was always with my mother, they went everywhere together and today seeing him alone is a very hard blow that we find difficult to assimilate and we try to be with him, to help him, accompany him and also hold him so that he does not fall because now we have to continue, for us, for him and because the most important reason to continue living is always going to be our mother.”
Arsenal are happy to negotiate a move for Torreira this summer, as per the player’s agent.
Pablo Bentancur, the midfielder’s agent, feels both parties are pulling in the same direction, saying: “Arsenal have understood the situation and will come to meet us.”