Neymar – What happened to the ‘YouTube’ player

It seems like a lifetime since cynics and sceptics were labelling Neymar as nothing more than a ‘YouTube player’. It didn’t take long for the boy from Brazil, resplendent in his Barcelona kit, to silence the rumours that he was nothing more than a collection of thirty second clips. Playing alongside Leo Messi and Luis […]
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sambafoot_admin
2016-01-07 13:03:00

It seems like a lifetime since cynics and sceptics were labelling Neymar as nothing more than a ‘YouTube player’. It didn’t take long for the boy from Brazil, resplendent in his Barcelona kit, to silence the rumours that he was nothing more than a collection of thirty second clips.

Playing alongside Leo Messi and Luis Suarez, the young Brazilian was a key member of Luis Enrique’s triple winning side which dazzled Europe last season. It was the first time in several years that the Barca forward line looked as though it could not just survive, but thrive without the Argentinean.

With Messi ruled out for a lengthy spell this season, the burden fell on the shoulders of Suarez and Neymar. With Suarez having been instrumental in Liverpool’s infamous title charge, his ability to drag a club through adversity was well documented but detractors still questioned Neymar, who had yet to lead a forward line at club level.
For Brazil he has handled that expectation with a maturity that is commonly overlooked, and was one of the few players who emerged from the World Cup with his reputation intact.
Neymar, complete with an unusually subdued buzz cut did the unthinkable and made Barcelona forget about Lionel Messi. Alongside Suarez the duo scored all of the club’s next 17 goals and signed off with a 4-0 destruction of Real Madrid, orchestrated by the magical Iniesta.
While it seems as though Messi will pick up a historic 4th Ballon d’Or in January, the incredible performances of Neymar (and Suarez) have put the world’s best footballer in the shadows, and herald the next stage in the Brazilian’s march on the title as the greatest player on the planet.
Considering his incredible performances in the latter stages of 2015 and the part he played in the treble campaign, Neymar is a strong candidate to take home the Ballon d’Or. Most bookies are positioning him as an outsider, and backing him can be done here.

While nobody refutes Messi’s spot at the pinnacle of world football, there is little doubt that Neymar’s mature performances and consistency make him heir to the Argentinean’s throne, and a reason for Brazil and Barcelona fans to smile.