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Everton star Richarlison has been honoured for his work on and off the pitch in Brazil with a special commendation.

The forward received the Commendation of Sporting Merit Jose de Anchieta Fontana on Wednesday - which is a big honour for anyone from the Espirito Santo state of Brazil.

The award is handed to athletes of the state who stand out in sports activities, nationally or internationally, and takes the name of the former Brazil defender and World Cup winner with his country who died in 1980 at the age of 39.

The award is the highest honour an athlete of the Espirito Santo state can receive, and Richarlison was clearly delighted to pick up his commendation on Wednesday.

However, the Everton man broke the usual protocol of the ceremony to make a special request after receiving his accolade.

As quoted by Gazeta Online , he told the Legislative Assembly: "I do not know how this works, I have no idea, but I wanted to ask the government to invest more in education.

"Many will miss out because they lack investment. So I ask you to invest more in education, which is very important for our state to grow."

(Image: Buda Mendes/Getty Images)

This follows an amazing act of kindness from Richarlison towards a group of students last month.

The forward helped the school raise over over £10,000 to fund a trip to Taiwan so they could take part in an international maths tournament.

The forward posted on Instagram after receiving his honour: "Today I received the highest honor that an athlete of my state can receive.

"I will always exalt my roots and know that the only thing that can make us evolve as a people, as a nation, is to invest heavily in education.

"This is what I asked the representatives of my state: to help ensure a better future for the children and young people of my land.

"In addition, I wanted to thank for the affection and the homage. It's a day that will stay forever in my memory."