Barcelona forward Ferran Torres turned to a psychologist for help escaping “a bottomless well”, he said Tuesday.
The former Manchester City winger has struggled for form this season and fallen out of favour, but played superbly in his team’s 2-0 win over Cadiz on Sunday in La Liga.
Torres has been behind Ousmane Dembele and Raphinha in coach Xavi Hernandez’s pecking order in recent months.
“I fell into a bottomless well, I did not know how to get out,” Torres told Catalan media, referring to the end of last season.
The Spain international said he became obsessed with scoring goals and ended up playing in a different way than normal.
After a disappointing end to the season with Barcelona, Torres suffered a foot injury last summer in pre-season that set back his efforts to establish himself under Xavi.
“It was in that moment that I decided to work with a psychologist,” continued the 22-year-old.
“I did not have confidence and everything affected me. It was a very bitter experience, but that the same time also one of the best, because now I feel stronger.”
Torres excelled against Cadiz as the league leaders restored their eight-point advantage on Real Madrid, in his first La Liga start since November.
“There are weeks when I don’t go to the psychologist and others when I go three times,” added Torres.
“We don’t always talk about football, we also talk about my private life.”
Barcelona next face Manchester United in the Europa League play-off second leg on Thursday at Old Trafford, following a 2-2 draw last week at Camp Nou.
