- Neymar was wildly greeted by thousands of supporters at Santos’ stadium
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Neymar broke down in tears and kissed the pitch during his emotional unveiling at his boyhood club Santos before declaring: ‘I feel like I’m 17 again.’
Around 20,000 supporters packed into Vila Belmiro Stadium to welcome the superstar back 12 years after he first departed for Barcelona, while the night was rounded off with a concert held underneath a sign reading, ‘the prince is back’.
The forward, 32, is believed to have put pen to paper on a six-month contract.
A raucous crowd braved the rain outside Sao Paulo to celebrate the surprise comeback, despite the event taking place around 11pm. His arrival to fireworks and a light show was capped off by a three-hour celebration featuring local singers.
‘I am very happy. We lived great moments here. There’s still a lot that could come,’ Neymar said on the pitch while soaking up the adoration.
Supporters then chanted that they wanted to watch him dribble again, to which he responded: ‘I will not lack boldness [to dribble].’
Neymar broke down in tears during his emotional unveiling at boyhood club Santos
The superstar kissed the pitch after walking out to fireworks and an eye-catching light show
Visibly taken aback by the occasion, Neymar was unable to hold back the tears after kissing the badge, and he then proceeded to blow kisses.
Before the event, he had greeted his future team-mates and club executives at the training ground. It is said several prominent figures were even moved to tears.
Brazil’s all-time leading scorer, Neymar made his debut for Santos in 2009 and won the Copa Libertadores in 2011 after scoring in the final.
During his four-year spell, he made 225 appearances across all competitions, scoring an impressive 136 goals and registering 64 assists.
He will wear Pele’s iconic No 10 shirt during his second stint at the club. ‘It will be an honour to wear this sacred jersey,’ he said in a video confirming the change.
Announcing his tear-jerking return on Thursday, just days after it was announced his contract with Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia would be terminated by mutual constent, Neymar admitted he felt like he was ‘going back in time’.
‘There are some decisions that go beyond the logic of football, and some are impactful,’ he said. ‘When I was sure I was coming back, I confess that at the beginning of January I couldn’t imagine coming back to Santos or leaving Al Hilal.
‘I was very happy there, my family was very happy there, I was very adapted and full of desire to play. Things happened and I had to make a decision. I started to feel sad in training, on a day-to-day basis, and it wasn’t going very well for me.
He sealed his return 12 years after first leaving after his Al-Hilal contract was terminated
Neymar said he ‘feels 17 again’ and did not think twice about sealing his Santos reunion
The event was capped off with a three-hour celebration including local singers
‘The opportunity to return came up and I didn’t think twice.
‘From the first day, I had already decided to come back, I told my father and everything worked out. Everyone is happy. I’m back with renewed energy. Ever since I set foot here I feel like I’m 17 again. I’m very happy, excited and very keen to play.’
Neymar departed Al-Hilal just 18 months after joining in a deal worth £78m.
He sustained a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament just two months after arriving, with his injury woes limiting him to just seven appearances and one goal.
The forward is still the world’s most expensive player after his £198m move to PSG in 2017. He won the Champions League and two LaLiga titles before heading to Paris.
There, he lifted five league titles and a host of other domestic cups.
