West Ham boss David Moyes says he “never had any doubt” about starting Lucas Paqueta in Sunday’s 3-1 victory over Chelsea.
News emerged on Friday that Paqueta is the subject of a Football Association investigation into possible betting breaches.
No charges have yet been filed against the player, with both West Ham and the FA refusing to comment publicly, but Manchester City, who were keen to sign the Brazilian this summer, have withdrawn their interest in a deal.
Despite the saga, Paqueta was named in the starting XI for the visit of the Blues and scored from the penalty spot in stoppage time as the Hammers clinched all three points.
“Never any doubt,” Moyes said, when asked about his decision. “He’s a solid and tough character. No problems.
"I thought 65,000 people stood to their feet and applauded him for what he’d done. He showed character, never hid away from the ball ever. His performance was very, very good, especially in the second half.”
Moyes was also full of praise for summer signing James Ward-Prowse, who registered assists for the first two goals in a superb debut.
The England international, who arrived from Southampton in a £30million deal earlier this month, has been partially tasked with filling the void left by Declan Rice’s departure and teed up Nayef Aguerd’s opener with a trademark corner before setting Michail Antonio away to put the Hammers 2-1 up.
“I think his character is very similar to Declan Rice, he’s a really good boy,” Moyes said. “Everybody knows, Southampton supporters especially know, about his delivery, his assists, what he’s capable of. I thought he did a great job today, gave us a great start in the game.”
