"He must have this desire to play" - Thierry Henry wonders if PSG forward is in right frame of mind
Thierry Henry touched on the importance of mental health in football while talking about Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). The former French striker specifically spoke about Neymar, who has been in the limelight for several years now.
The Brazilian forward is a player of exceptional ability, but has often struggled for consistency. While he has been injured on occasions, Neymar has also talked about mental fatigue and capacity to carry on at football's topmost level. In October 2021, the Brazilian told DAZN, which was relayed by Marca:
"I think Qatar 2022 will be my last World Cup because I don't know if I have the mental strength to deal with football anymore."
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In an exclusive interview with Hannah Britt from the Mirror in September 2019, Neymar emphasized mental health being of utmost importance:
“I think when you are mentally well things happen naturally. You are more likely to do the right things. If you are not so well, things will not happen the way you expect.”
With Lionel Messi joining Neymar and Kylian Mbappe at PSG last summer, fans expected the trio to wreak havoc in Europe. However, that has not happened yet. Messi has underperformed, considering his lofty standards, while Neymar has hardly played this season, owing to injury.
Discussing the French giants' much-vaunted front three and the attributes Neymar brings to the field, Henry told Le 10 Sport:
"There is something important that needs to be highlighted. We talked about the three when they play together, but sometimes on certain counterattacks, Paris Saint-Germain are a little more vulnerable. But also having Neymar on the pitch opens up gaps for others. When Neymar is on the pitch, you also have to pay attention to his calls when he takes the ball, when he picks up."
Henry added that Neymar is only a human being, and his mental health should be accounted for as well, saying:
"Now, we ask a lot of him, but he is a human being. For a little while, we can see that he keeps talking about his mental aspect. Is he mentally well now? I hope for him, and I hope that he finds feelings also to be able to start. He must have this desire to play, because people forget that sometimes. He's an artist, but it's better when he's good."
Neymar became the world's most expensive player when he joined PSG from Barcelona in 2017 for €222 million. Although he has an admirable record at the club, scoring 91 goals in 133 games across competitions, he has not been able to deliver the Champions League trophy to the Parisians. He also has 116 caps for Brazil and is the nation's second-highest goalscorer behind the legendary Pele with 70 goals.
PSG's have a great chance to win the Champions League this season
Having brought in Messi, Sergio Ramos, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Achraf Hakimi and Giorginio Wijnaldum last summer, PSG were tipped to be favorites to win the UEFA Champions League this season.
Paris Saint-Germain is delighted to announce the signing of Leo Messi on a two-year contract with an option of a third year.
en.psg.fr/teams/first-te…
#PSGxMESSI ❤️💙 https://t.co/msJAnW01V5
On paper, their frontline of Mbappe, Neymar and Messi is the strongest in Europe. However, the Ligue 1 giants are also aware that their French forward is close to leaving the club next summer.
Hence, it is all the more pertinent for PSG to win their first-ever Champions League title this season. Mbappe has been in brilliant form this season and could be the player to make the difference in Europe for the French giants.
He has recorded 24 goals and 17 assists in 34 games for PSG this season. That includes a 94th-minute winner against Real Madrid in their Champions League Round of 16 first leg in Paris two weeks ago. The tie concludes at the Santiago Bernabeu on March 9.
Interestingly, Mbappe is strongly tipped to join Los Blancos on a free transfer this summer.