"He is an idol for all Brazilians [...] genius"
- Luiz Felipe Scolari (Brazil Coach)
Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior is quickly becoming one of the most talked about and exciting players in the world. At the tender age of 21, he has already scored 136 professional club goals for Santos and 23 goals for Brazil at the highest level. He has won the South American Footballer of the Year for the past three years, and in 2011 he was nominated for the FIFA Ballon d'Or. Neymar has won a Puskás Award (goal of the season) and he is best known for his flair and attacking style.
Neymar was born in Mogi das Cruzes, São Paulo. His father was also a footballer and he became Neymar's advisor when he spotted his son's talents. Multiple moves saw Neymar's family live in many different areas of Brazil, but this opened the door for clubs to take Neymar into their academies. When he was 17, he signed a professional contract at Santos, where he was able to receive sponsors and substantially increase his family's quality of life.
Neymar began his professional football career in 2009, and he hasn't looked back since. 14 goals in his debut season quickly change into 42 goals in his second season. He slumped behind slightly in 2011, scoring 24 goals in 47 games, which is still fairly impressive for a young player. Following this slight fall in goalscoring, Neymar came back to enjoy his best season at the Brazilian club, scoring 43 goals in 47 games. In total, Neymar scored 136 professional goals in 225 games for Santos.
Neymar's international record is even more impressive, he has scored 23 goals in 37 appearances for his country. There have only been two matches where Brazil haven't won when Neymar has scored. Most recently, he has been voted 'man of the match' in 3 out of 3 of Brazil's Confederations Cup matches, scoring a spectacular goal in each game.
Neymar has had his praises sung by many of football's top names, such as Pelé, Ronaldinho, and retired Brazilian superstar Ronaldo. Ronaldo said "Neymar is a great talent who will show the world that he will be number one". Many footballers and pundits have tipped Neymar to become the best footballer in the world, easily overtaking Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Neymar became a father at the age of 19 in August 2011, the baby was born in São Paulo, just like Neymar. The new father embraced the birth, saying " I cried when I learned that I would be his father. At first, I felt fear. Then joy. It is a new responsibility and I am now enjoying it". In 2012, 'France Football' placed the young Brazilian as the 7th richest footballer in the world, with a combined income - from salaries, bonuses and off field earnings (sponsors etc.) - of £11 million. Neymar's most notable sponsorship deal is an 11-year deal with Nike, which he signed in March 2011. Earlier this year he was rated by 'SportsPro' magazine as the most marketable athlete in the world, beating Cristiano Ronaldo's 'CR7' branding (he came in 8th!). Neymar has also been on the cover of North American versions of the Pro Evolution football game, and he was the first Brazilian athlete to feature on the cover of 'TIME' magazine.
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| 'The Next Pelé'? Many people seem to think so. |
So what's next for Neymar? After completing his €57 million move to Spanish giants Barcelona on a five-year deal, he'll be looking to make a name for himself at one of the biggest clubs in the world. And with a €190 million release clause in his contract, it seems as though he'll have a lot of time to do so.
Of course, being the 9th most expensive transfer in history is no small matter. But for a young man who has already established himself as one of the world's best players and overall football personalities, I believe he will be able to live up to his praises and I wouldn't be surprised to see him challenging for top honours next season...
"I can't explain how special he will become..."
- Ronaldinho
Source(s):
wikipedia.org
futaa.com
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