An end to nine months of injury hell is the biggest trophy Paulinho has ever won, the former Tottenham man has revealed.
The Brazilian midfielder, 34, was a cult hero during two years in north London before he went on to win titles with, among others, Barcelona.
Now back at old side Corinthians, Paulinho suffered a serious knee injury in May of last year and, on Sunday night, finally made his return to the starting line-up as he scored in the Campeonato Paulista defeat to Ituano.
The emotion was clear to see as he netted a header to level the scores in the first half, his teammates rushing to embrace him.
É DELE, FIEL! 1️⃣5️⃣
— Corinthians (@Corinthians) March 12, 2023
Paulinho empatou o jogo para o Timão! 🔥
📹 Guaraci Neto #SCCPxITU (1-1)#DiaDeCorinthians#VaiCorinthians pic.twitter.com/9Jy61KgcAB
Speaking ahead of the game, Paulinho revealed he feared his career was over during a long recovery process that ultimately proved successful despite his advancing years.
“The biggest title I’ve won in my life is my return to football,” he told Globo.
The moment followed a goal off the bench against Santo Andre as the veteran midfielder ripped his shirt off in celebration.
“Felt pain so much pain I thought of giving up,” he posted on social media.
“But the emotion I felt yesterday showed that I had to believe. That's what I have to pass on to everyone. Believe in yourself, in what you do and who you are. The work continues and I’ll keep believing.”
