With tears in eyes, forward Neymar spoke honestly about his time at Barcelona and Lionel Messi’s influence.
“Honestly, thinking about Messi is challenging, very challenging for me, since it was really different for me in Barcelona, I say this to everyone,” he told Espetacular Esporte to Rede Globo (via SportBible).
Neymar described his experience with Barca captain, claiming he was there to help him at significant stage in his life. “At the moment when I needed support the most, the greatest player in the world came and gave me a hand. He said: ‘Come here, I’m here to help you.’”
According to the Paris Saint-Germain star, the six-time Ballon d’Or winner also advised him not to be “shy” and not to be afraid of “anyone at the team.”
The 28-year-old Brazilian arrived from Santos in 2013 at the Spanish club and made 123 appearances and scored 68 times at the Camp Nou during his four-year time. Neymar quit Barcelona for the French team in 2017 for a world record transfer fee of €222m.
