Paqueta needs help and his club must make sure he is mentally fit to play

MORE MUST BE DONE TO COMBAT PLAYERS' MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES

- BY JEREMY CROSS

IF LUCAS PAQUETA isn't in the right frame of mind to do his job properly, why is he playing for West Ham?

Part of Nuno Espirito Santos role as manager is to make sure he's aware of the mental state of his players.

Being physically fit is one thing, but there is much more to it when it comes to the complex lives of footballers like Paqueta.

His behaviour in the defeat to Liverpool suggests someone who needs some help. Two yellow cards in quick succession, to earn a red one, is a ridiculous thing to do.

Paqueta deserves credit for going on social media, to reveal possible reasons for why he did what he did.

The Brazil midfielder had to endure an FA investigation into alleged spot-fixing charges, which lasted almost two years. He had to put his career on hold, before being cleared.