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Neymar: My dad doesn't decide my career, I do

With the 26-year-old’s future still the subject of much speculation, the player has lashed out that those who believe he is controlled by his father

Paris Saint-Germain and Brazil star Neymar has praised his father, but insisted he made his own decisions regarding his future.

Neymar has been linked with a move to Real Madrid after just one season at PSG, where he arrived in a world-record €222 million (£200m/$266m) switch from Barcelona last year.

The 26-year-old’s dad has long acted as his advisor and also serves as his agent, but Neymar Jr. said any decisions about his career were in his own hands.

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“My father doesn’t take decisions for my career. I’m the one who decides about that,” he told Brazilian magazine VIP.

“He’s the best advisor I could ask for but, in the end, it’s my call.

“My father takes care of other matters that run parallel to football, so that I can focus only on my profession.”

Neymar scored 28 goals in his first season at PSG and contributed a further 18 assists in just 30 outings, despite his campaign having been ended early by a foot injury suffered against Marseille in February. 

He has, however, made Brazil’s World Cup squad for Russia 2018, where he is preparing for matches against Switzerland, Costa Rica and Serbia in Group E.

Indeed, his team-mates are optimistic about the manner he is recovering, with Danilo stating that he is getting “better and faster” each day.

He enjoyed a largely successful first season with PSG, where he is under contract until 2022.

Under the guidance of Unai Emery, he helped them to win the domestic treble and also scooped the Ligue 1 Player of the Year award.

However, PSG suffered disappointment in the Champions League, their ultimate goal this season, as they were ousted in the first knockout round by eventual champions Real Madrid. Injury prevented Neymar from featuring in the return leg.

He hopes to make amends with his nation this summer, having suffered a serious back injury at World Cup 2014, which prevented him from featuring in the semi-final in his homeland, a match Brazil lost 7-1 to Germany.

With the national team he has scored 53 goals in 83 appearances, putting him fourth on the list for the nation’s all-time leading marksmen behind Romario (55), Ronaldo (62) and Pele (77).

Rumours, however, continue to dog his future, with a switch back to Spain touted.