It’s ten years to the day since Neymar scored the goal that earned him the Puskas award. The Brazilian, then just 19-years-old, hit one of four Santos goals as they lost 5-4 to a Ronaldinho-led Flamengo in the Brasileirao.
The crazy thing about Neymar as an explosive youth was how aggressively original he was. Full of imagination and not an ounce of respect. Had things worked out differently, he could have been a genuinely unique figure in our sport. pic.twitter.com/qyMT49kuP7
— Alan Feehely (@azulfeehely) July 27, 2021
The goal is remarkable; Neymar dribbles past players with an almost aggressive originality, full of imagination and without an ounce of respect. To watch the goal is to watch a special player in full-flight, achieving genius in his homeland.
Neymar spent four years at Santos, the club at which he broke through, as a professional. He won three Campeonato Paulista titles, one Copa do Brasil, one Copa Libertadores and Recopa Sudamericana.
Neymar left Santos for Barcelona in 2013, spending four years at Camp Nou before leaving for Paris Saint-Germain in a controversial move in the summer of 2017. He’s remained in Paris ever since, recently signing a long-term deal, despite constantly being linked with a return to Catalonia.
