Friends who grew up with West Ham star Lucas Paqueta have leapt to his defence after it emerged he could face a ten year ban if found guilty of spot-fixing in Premier League games.
The Brazilian international - who earns a reported £130,000-a-week and was on the verge of a dream £85 million move to champions Manchester City - has been accused by the FA of deliberately picking up yellow cards in matches against Leicester City, Aston Villa, Leeds and Bournemouth in 2022 and 2023.