Gabriel Jesus reveals motivation for World Cup redemption
RIO DE JANEIRO - Manchester City and Brazil forward Gabriel Jesus said Thursday that his disappointing performances at the 2018 World Cup have provided him with extra motivation as he looks toward the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
Jesus failed to score in Russia despite starting as the central striker in each of Brazil's five matches and he admitted the unflattering statistic still haunts him.
"I'm realistic and understand that I was not at my best," the 23-year-old said in an Instagram Live session with legendary Brazil striker Ronaldo.
"I suffered a lot in the period after the World Cup. Then my family came to England and I turned the corner. What happened is in the past and there's no turning back now.
"It [the World Cup] is the biggest tournament in the world. Being Brazil's No 9 is a big responsibility and not scoring goals hurt me a lot. But ... I turned the corner and the goal now is the next one [Qatar 2022].
The former Palmeiras player revealed that he had studied videos of himself during the tournament to identify where he went wrong and work on his mistakes.
"It's something that I haven't said to anyone, but after the World Cup I watched the games, my movement," Jesus said. "And I realized something that nobody analyzed. I realized that I didn't create. I didn't miss chances but I also didn't create them. That's where I went wrong."
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