Last Updated on August 10, 2023 by Vishnu Nambiar
My favorite footballer is Neymar da Silva Santos Junior. He is well-known as Neymar. He is also my favorite sportsperson and source of inspiration. This essay is dedicated to my favorite footballer and sportsperson – Neymar.
Since he is my favorite player and sportsperson, I keep a close eye on his career and personal life. Here, I will cover the following topics – a brief outline of his career, his qualities (on and off the field), his achievements, and more.
Before talking about my idol, let us describe in brief my relationship with the beautiful game – football. I was born into a middle-class family. As a kid, I was hyperactive. I used to sleep very less. In the meantime, I used to run around my home, troubling my siblings and parents.
I would through around toys and utensils at home and create havoc there! My parents and siblings were tired of my antics. That’s when they decided to enroll me at a local football club. Their idea was to make me play football and spend my energy on the field. Anyway, the idea was pretty good and effective.
After joining the club, I used to play a lot of football. This helped me spend my energy in a better manner! Long story short, I was in love with football. I developed a good bond with fellow players and coaches at the local academy. This is how my love for football blossomed.
As a child, I’d collect pictures and play cards of footballers. My favorite player is Neymar. I have been watching and following him since his days at FC Barcelona. I’m a huge fan of European football leagues. I follow these leagues and tournaments on TV (and now the internet). Among the European clubs, my favorite one is FC Barcelona. And I took note of Neymar after he signed for my favorite club. And thereafter, his performances for the club made me a huge fan.
Before signing for FC Barcelona, he used to play for Santos in Brazil. Okay, let us focus on his early life and career first. Neymar was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil. His father is a former footballer. His father played a huge role in the development of young Neymar’s career and life.
As a child, Neymar was very fond of playing futsal and street football. Playing futsal helped him develop exceptional ball control, technique, quick movement, etc. He began his career on the youth team of Santos FC.
He made his professional debut for the club in 2009. At Santos FC, he played fearlessly. And his performances for Santos FC made European clubs take note of him. And this is how he made his way to FC Barcelona.
FC Barcelona signed Neymar in 2013. He received a warm reception at the club. He made his debut in the opening game of his first season at the club. Let me list down some of his accomplishments at FC Barcelona – La Liga (two times), Copa del Rey (three times), UEFA Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup, and Supercopa de Espana.
In short, he had a trophy-laden and rewarding stay at FC Barcelona. He managed to thrill his fans and spectators on the field. As many of us know, Neymar is pretty good at dribbling and performing tricks on the field. Using his supreme set of skills, trickery, and pace, he managed to win the hearts of fans, spectators as well as fellow players. At FC Barcelona, he forged a strong relationship with fellow forwards Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez. They developed a lethal chemistry, which would put opposition defenders to the test! They were fondly called ‘MSN’ by the fans. And MSN used to terrorize opposition in La Liga as well as European matches.
On the field, Neymar is a versatile forward/attacker. He is capable of playing in roles such as – winger, striker, second-striker, attacking midfielder, etc. At FC Barcelona, he was mostly deployed as a winger or forward.
With the ball at his feet, Neymar could perform some outrageous tricks. This, along with his pace, allowed him to beat defenders. In this way, he could make assists or score goals in the league as well as in European competitions. At the same time, his trickery and dribbles attracted a lot of physical attention from the defenders (who’d often go for fouls). To brave the physical game in Spain, Neymar decided to bulk up. He gave extra focus on his physical conditioning and strength at Barcelona.
He has scored over 100 goals in all competitions for FC Barcelona. After wrapping up a rewarding stay in Barcelona, Neymar decided to take up a new challenge. He joined French club PSG and made his debut for them in 2017.
At PSG, he joined the likes of teenage sensation Kylian Mbappe and Uruguayan Edinson Cavani. The trio formed an integral part of PSG’s attacking lineup. They would score goals for fun and assist each other on the field. With the trio on the field, PSG would play some attacking football each week.
He maintained his prolific goal-scoring rate at his new club as well. He adapted to the French league very easily. For a player of his caliber, the transition was not very tough at all! Here is a list of the popular team honors won by him at PSG so far – Ligue 1 title (three times), Coupe de France (three times), and Coupe de la Ligue (twice).
As of now, he is still playing for PSG. At the international level, he has represented Brazil’s national team in competitions such as – Copa America, World Cup, Confederations Cup, and the Olympics. With the Brazil national team, he has won the following trophies – FIFA Confederations Cup, Olympic Gold medal (2016) and Silver medal (2012).
Neymar is a talented and gifted player. Ever since he was a child, he could perform eye-catching tricks with the ball at his feet. But talent alone can’t help you win European titles or domestic titles. In order to thrive at the highest level, one must work hard, stay focused, disciplined and motivated.
Neymar has performed at the highest level for many seasons now. And he has won titles and cups in all of the leagues he has played in so far. It is safe to say that Neymar is hard-working, disciplined, motivated, and focused. Without these qualities, he wouldn’t have achieved all these team honors and individual accolades.
I am Vishnu Nambiar a career and educational blogger from India. I am also a full time educational consultant having more than 12 years of experience in the educational sector.
I share articles related to courses, colleges, careers, exam tips and more here.