Jarrod Bowen is not the only one who has seen a big difference in Lucas Paqueta since the West Ham United star was acquitted of spot-fixing charges. Newcastle captain and Brazil teammate Bruno Guimaraes has noticed it too.
In truth, he could hardly have missed it.
With every game that goes by, the prediction made in late-August by West Ham United’s captain marvel seems more and more prophetic.
Jarrod Bowen knew Paqueta would start shining again. This, he said, would be a ‘really big season’ for a man lighter, freer, and no longer weighed down by such a heavy burden.
Since then, Lucas Paqueta has scored in four successive matches for club and country. For the very first time, no less. Carlo Ancelotti applauded his triumphant Brazil return on Friday – a far-post header putting the Selecao 2-0 up against Chile moments after his introduction – while a close friend based on the banks of the Tyne is happy to put those Premier League rivalries aside as Paqueta’s tears turn to jubilation.
Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes pays tribute to West Ham United’s Lucas Paqueta
Bruno Guimaraes has watched his old Lyon teammate suffer through two whole years of uncertainty.
Lucas Paqueta missed out on joining Manchester City to the tune of £80 million, while two seasons of a very short career were disrupted by fears that his entire livelihood could be snuffed out at any given moment.
Guimaraes was there right from day one, offering as much support as he could muster.
“From the beginning, when things started, we met and talked,” Guimaraes reveals, in conversation with ESPN. “I don’t know if I can go into much detail about what happened, but we were in touch from the beginning.
“He, my wife, and I talked a lot. We always tried to give him strength and positive energy, always believing in Lucas, in his vision, and in the brother he is to me.
“We even arranged to meet for dinner and also to get away from the world of football a little, because as you said, it was two years. But, for him, it seemed like an eternity.”
Guimaraes feels West Ham’s Brazil superstar is back to his old Lyon self
Per Sky Sports, the FA were seeking a lifetime ban for Lucas Paqueta had he been found guilty. Those emotions threatened to get the better of him too as judgement day loomed
Paqueta was in tears after picking up a booking against Tottenham Hotspur in April. A game which, at the time, looked potentially like his last in claret and blue.
No wonder the former AC Milan and Flamengo playmaker now looks like a man determined to fall in love with the beautiful game once again.
“It was a difficult time for him, but we always tried to be by his side,” adds Guimaraes, his compatriot arguably playing his most consistent football since those Ligue 1 days in 2022.
“There were many long exchanges of tears, agony, but also great happiness as the hearings progressed and he won. It further strengthened our friendship.
“He now looks like the Paqueta I knew from Flamengo and Lyon [who he left for West Ham three years ago]. A happy, cheerful, and content kid, always laughing and joking.
“He started the season on the right foot, despite being left-handed, scoring a lot of goals.
“If I were him, I wouldn’t be able to go through what he went through, the anguish of not knowing what will happen next. Your career being in the hands of others, it’s something you can’t control.
“Now, he’s happy and has that smile of gratitude on his face.”
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