'It affected me a lot. I went into a hole and I couldn't see my way out.' - Ferran Torres
Barcelona’s Ferran Torres gave an astounding performance in their recent LaLiga win over Cadiz after a spell of poor performances and has opened up about needing the help of a psychologist after hitting rock bottom while trying too hard to be someone he is not.
Ferran Torres’ first good game this year
The Spanish winger had what many would term his first good game of the year for Barcelona against Cadiz after a series of poor performances that included Torres getting sent off against Atletico Madrid for violent conduct.
Against Cadiz, Torres completed more than any other player in LaLiga this season and was unlucky not to get an assist after playing five key passes and creating a big chance, and it was a better performance than anything he has shown for a long time.
While many fans and pundits believed that Torres was just unable to cut it in an improved Barcelona team, it turns out that Torres was in a psychological battle with himself, and his form suffered as a result.
According to the 21-year-old forward, he started forgetting the type of player that he was and what made him special and started chasing goals at the detriment of his overall game.
"I became obsessed with goals. I didn't care if I had bad games, I just wanted to score. I've always been a player who dribbles, takes players on and assists. Normally I've also been good in front of goal, but I went through a bad patch and I didn't know how to manage it."
Torres explained how bad the period was for him, saying, "It affected me a lot. I went into a hole and I couldn't see my way out. It had never happened to me before.
"When I was playing badly, I was sinking,"
Torres back on the mend and looking forward to better performance
Torres was eventually able to overcome his mental block by seeing a psychologist, who helped him find himself again and rediscover his best form.
Speaking about his time with a psychologist, he said, "I've taken it [seeing a psychologist] on board naturally. There are weeks when I don't go to the psychologist and others when I go three times. We don't always talk about football, we also talk about my private life.
“I was already a mature footballer since my departure from Valencia, but the dimension of everything I have experienced these months has helped me to grow a lot in all aspects.
“Now I dedicate myself to going out, enjoying myself and being happy playing."
Ferran Torres will be hoping that his worst days are behind him and he can continue dropping superb performances like the one against Cadiz as Barcelona head into the most important part of the season.
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