Dozens of screaming fans welcomed Brazil star Neymar on Thursday as he flew in to China to rejoin Paris Saint-Germain after his disappointing World Cup.
The world’s most expensive player, wearing a canary-yellow hoodie, posed for pictures with airport staff before his noisy welcome in the arrivals hall.
Footage on Neymar’s Twitter account showed him signing Barcelona, Brazil and PSG shirts before being guided through the crowd by minders and security staff.
Neymar’s arrival, ahead of Saturday’s French Super Cup game against Monaco in Shenzhen, comes more than five months after his last appearance for PSG following a foot injury in late February.
The flamboyant forward then endured a turbulent World Cup as Brazil were stunned by Belgium in the quarter-finals and he was widely lampooned for his play-acting.
“I didn’t want to see a ball, or to see any more football played,” the 26-year-old told AFP last month in an interview, describing his World Cup disappointment.
However, Thursday’s enthusiastic welcome indicated that his popularity in China remains very much intact.
Real Madrid have no chance of buying Neymar from Paris Saint-Germain this summer.
That’s the verdict of former PSG star Javier Pastore as Real look to make a statement signing to replace Cristiano Ronaldo.
Neymar has been in the viewfinder of Bernabeu president Florentino Perez ever since he burst onto the scene in Brazil with Santos.
And Real Madrid were given hope of one day snapping up the forward last summer when he left their arch-rivals Barcelona for PSG.
Real’s interest in signing Neymar escalated in the wake of Ronaldo’s move to Juventus, which left a gaping hole in their squad.
Pastore, who spent a year playing alongside the 26-year-old, doesn’t think he’ll be returning to Spain though.
“It is impossible that Neymar leaves PSG this summer,” said Pastore, who swapped PSG for Roma last month.
“PSG made a very big investment in him. They rely on Neymar a lot, as a player and as a person, and last year he had the bad luck to be injured in the key stage of the club season.
“This year is going to be a nice chance for him to be able to demonstrate everything that counts. God willing, I hope he can win many important things for PSG.”
Next season PSG will be hoping Neymar can replicate the form he produced before picking up an ankle injury in February.
The Mogi das Cruzes-born ace bagged 28 goals in 30 games before being ruled out for three months.
This week Neymar responded to the criticism he faces from fans for alleged playacting.
“Studs on my calf, knee in my back, stamp on my foot,” said Neymar. “You might think I exaggerate and sometimes I really do exaggerate. But the fact is that I suffer on the field.
“There’s still a child inside me. Sometimes he enchants the world and sometimes he irritates the world.
“When I seem rude, it’s not because I am a spoilt child, it’s because I haven’t learnt to deal with frustration.
“It’s taken me time to accept your criticism, it’s taken me time to look into the mirror and transform myself into a new man. But I am here, with a new face and an open heart. I fell down but only those that fell down can get up.
“You can keep throwing stones or throw those stones away and help me stand. When I stand on my own two feet, all of Brazil stands with me.”
The Brazilian star has dismissed talk of a move to Real Madrid, and his former team-mate does not see him leaving PSG