Lucas Paqueta dazzled in front of West Ham United fans at Soldier Field as the Hammers came from behind to beat Everton 2-1 in the Premier League Summer Series.
The Brazilian made the starting line-up for the first time since the verdict of his spot-fixing allegations was revealed and gave West Ham fans a glimpse of what to expect in the coming season.
The 27-year-old has been in limbo over the past couple of years, with a spot-fixing allegation hanging over his head. He had been under investigation since August 2023.
However, the Football Association (FA) formally charged him in May 2024.
Paqueta was accused of deliberately getting booked to influence the betting market in four Premier League games spanning the 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons.
He maintained his innocence throughout the investigation and has now been cleared of any wrongdoing, despite previous fears that the FA was pushing for a lifetime ban.
Paqueta set for central role at West Ham next season
Paqueta came on as a substitute in the 2-1 pre-season defeat against Manchester United but was named in Graham Potter’s starting line-up to face Everton.
With a massive weight lifted off his shoulders, he seemed like a player reborn, spearheading the Hammers’ comeback victory against the Toffees on Wednesday evening.
West Ham started the game well, but Everton drew first blood through Idrissa Gueye’s 17th-minute strike.
In a game littered with schoolboy errors, West Ham pounced on a howler from Mark Travers.
The Everton goalkeeper attempted to punch the ball away from danger but mistimed his jump, allowing Paqueta to poke the ball into an empty net.
West Ham completed the comeback just after the hour mark when substitute Niclas Fullkrug picked up the ball from Paqueta before rifling home a fantastic low effort into the bottom corner.
Paqueta will no doubt be a key player for West Ham next season, and with the court case now a thing of the past, he can focus on rebuilding his career and enjoying his football again.
West Ham will take on Bournemouth in their final Summer Series fixture before dropping the curtain on pre-season preparations with a game against Lille.