"Joining the pile-on - as many have done on social media and beyond - won't get him or countless others who still share his view to that place."

If it's good enough for the man whose goal decided this year's World Cup final....

Ferran Torres' 106th minute strike against Argentina in July delivered Spain's second senior men's world title, sealing his sporting legacy at the age of just 26.

He is only the fifth player in the history of World Cups to emerge as the sole goalscorer in a World Cup final, after Mario Gotze (Germany, 2014), Andres Iniesta (Spain, 2010), Ronaldo (two for Brazil, 2002) and Andreas Brehme (West Germany, 1990).

He has three La Ligas with Barcelona, one Premier League title with Manchester City and is well placed to end his Champions League wait as he has joined Paris St Germain, who are gunning this season for their third European crown in a row.

If ever anyone was living their best life.

But it hasn't always been that way for the Spanish star, who opened up after this summer triumph about his use of a sports psychologist.

"It's not just about physical preparation; the mental side is just as important," he said.

"There's so much that goes on behind the scenes that people don't see. The expectations, the pressure, it's a lot to handle. Working with a sports psychologist has given me the tools to manage it better.

"I feel more in control now. The challenges are still there, but I have the tools to face them head-on."

Not everyone can see those benefits with the same clarity as the PSG star.

And although football has made huge strides in terms of understanding the role that mental health plays in performance both on and off the pitch, there is still some way to go.

It's a subject that hit the headlines again this week when James McClean, in an interview with the Sunday Independent, said that he saw "as a weakness" the idea that a man would seek help.

It drew a mix of reactions, with many critical of the former Ireland international's view.

His club Derry City, with whom he is in dispute and hasn't played since mid-July, distanced themselves by stating that "these views do not reflect our core values or beliefs."

Of course they don't. And credit to them for accepting "an invitation to meet with Men's Action Network (MAN) to discuss these issues."

But they also stated that the club "places the highest priority on the mental health and wellbeing of our players, staff and the wider Derry City community."

McClean, regardless of the current relationship between the two parties, is still a Derry City player. Did the statement deliver on prioritising his mental health and wellbeing?

Later on Monday, McClean's wife Erin took to social media where she bravely stated that she did not agree with her husband's view and that she had been "strongly encouraging him to seek therapy."

Erin continued: "He is struggling at the moment, and has been for some time. He may not agree with me sharing that, but I've told him that I need to explain this.

"I'm working on getting him to a place where he recognises that speaking about this is not a sign of weakness."

Joining the pile-on - as many have done on social media and beyond - won't get him or countless others who still share his view to that place.

PFA Ireland chief Stephen McGuinness, speaking to this publication in the wake of McClean's comments, told of his visits to "every single dressing room in the Premier Division this year."

He said: "Mental health is still not where we want it to be. It's still not seen as the norm to go and seek help.

"What James said, a lot of other players think the same way as him. When I saw that on Sunday, I thought to myself, we still have work to do in this space."

When stars such as World Cup winner Ferran Torres speak out, it helps. Ironically, McClean's comments also help, as they have kicked off an important conversation.

Rather than criticise him for his views, we should remember the 103 times that he pulled on the green jersey and gave everything for his country.

We can now safely speculate that he often did so while burdened by demons fuelled in part by the abuse he received every weekend from opposition fans whipped into a hateful rage either by his anti-poppy stance or his provocative social media posts.

So we owe it to McClean and others to understand the reasons behind his view on mental health, and to gently persuade him otherwise.