A teary-eyed Neymar spoke candidly about his time at Barcelona and the impact of Lionel Messi.
Neymar spoken of his respect toward Lionel Messi, detailing how the Barcelona star helped him find his footing with the Spanish giants.
The forward spent four years with Barca during which time he won a pair of La Liga crowns, three Copa del Rey trophies and a Champions League.
The 27-year-old Brazilian forward arrived at the Spanish club from Santos in 2013 and made 123 appearances and scored 68 times during his four-year stint at the Camp Nou.
Neymar formed a deadly partnership with Messi and Luis Suarez but the MSN trio was broken up when the Brazil star decided to join Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2017 for a record €222 million fee.
The Brazilian is currently out with a metatarsal injury and has returned to his homeland for treatment.
This has given the flamboyant forward time to speak with the press and, during a recent discussion, revealed just how much the Argentine no.10 helped him during their time together at Barcelona.
“I tell it for everybody now, that when I needed help the most, the best in the world (Messi) showed me affection,” he told Esporte Espectacular.
Neymar was then asked about a hypothetical petition from Messi for Neymar to return.
“It’s difficult, it’s difficult. To be honest, it is very difficult because Leo was a very special guy for me at Barcelona,” he said.
He also revealed the message that Messi sent him when Neymar arrived at the Camp Nou.
“I’m here to help you,” he said, in addition to advising him not to be afraid of him or anyone else at the club, and asked him not to be shy.
Finally, Neymar spoke of how he dealt with his most recent injury which prevented him from playing at Old Trafford in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16.
“It took more of a toll on me this time to accept it, I spent two days at home, crying and very sad,” he concluded.