Thierry Henry is worried about Neymar’s mental health. He’s asking for help, but can you hear him?

The life of a professional footballer is not all about fame, money and the sweet life. Footballers also have to cope with being under constant scrutiny, having no privacy, their body being in constant turmoil and being under immense pressure. According to Thierry Henry, this is what is weighing on Brazilian Neymar.

Remember Neymar when videos of his Santos games were coming out in Europe? The fascinating youngster was having fun with football, always had a smile on his face, spoiled the fans with his handsome tackles and plenty of goals. He continued the same rhythm at Barcelona and, it could be said, at the beginning of his engagement at PSG.

But after two years in Paris, he fell out of favour and wanted to return to Barcelona at any cost. However, he wasn’t allowed to do so and had to stay at PSG. The fans didn’t forget that and started hating their main star. “Neymar, you son of a bitch, ” the fans chanted in the first game of the season after his failed departure.

In his Netflix documentary, Neymar himself admitted that he was under enormous pressure, which he did not feel the best under. He hasn’t been the same Neymar we knew since.

His performances aren’t the best either. He hasn’t been able to get fit since returning from injury and he has already signed for two losses in the starting line-up, to Nantes and to Nice on Saturday. It was one of his worst performances at the weekend, with the legendary Thierry Henry expressing concern for his mental health.

“When you analyse the action and he’s not in the right position, well, it’s a fact and you have to acknowledge it. Yes, he’s not playing that well, but there are reasons for that,” Henry told L’Equipe.

“Neymar has often spoken in recent interviews about his mental health, about the pressure, so my first question is: ‘Is he OK?’ It’s not about him not fiddling his opponent, not fiddling, or not outplaying anyone.

“He’s talking, but can you hear him? He’s asking for help. He has things running through his head, like any ordinary person,” added the current assistant coach of the Belgian national team.

Henry was apparently referring to a recent interview in which Neymar said that the 2022 World Cup will probably be his last as he doesn’t know if he is mentally strong enough to continue playing football.

Further, the Brazilian playmaker stated that he is getting fed up with the pressure of European football and would love to play in America. One of the reasons he gave for playing in MLS is that it is a shorter season overseas and he would have three months off.

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