Neymar was made to settle for a draw in his first match in 12 years for Santos but the Brazilian was nevertheless overjoyed to have turned out for his boyhood club once more.
The 33-year-old made an emotional return to the Brazilian giants last week after his £130-million-per-year contract with Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal was mutually terminated.
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.
Having struggled with injuries in Saudi Arabia, Neymar came on in the second half of Santos' 1-1 draw with Botafogo and the forward showed some signs of rust after taking the field.
He even had the misfortune of taking the ball straight into his groin just seconds after his introduction. But even that couldn't dampen his spirits.
'I love Santos,' said Neymar. 'I have no words to describe what I felt tonight when I stepped again on this pitch.
The 33-year-old made an emotional return to the Brazilian giants last week after his £130-million-per-year contract with Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal was mutually terminated.
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.
Having struggled with injuries in Saudi Arabia, Neymar came on in the second half of Santos' 1-1 draw with Botafogo and the forward showed some signs of rust after taking the field.
He even had the misfortune of taking the ball straight into his groin just seconds after his introduction. But even that couldn't dampen his spirits.
'I love Santos,' said Neymar. 'I have no words to describe what I felt tonight when I stepped again on this pitch.
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