"Must have this desire to play" - Henry wonders if Neymar is in the right 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 especially 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.

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

Discussing the French giants' much-vaunted front three and the attributes Neymar brings to the field, Henry said:

"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."

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 as the favourites to win the UEFA Champions League this season.

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 is in brilliant form this season, and can 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 the Parisian outfit 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.