Neymar declares love for Santos

Agency :

Neymar admitted he would need to be patient after an emotional return to original club Santos on Wednesday.

The star forward came off the bench after halftime of the Brazilian Paulista Championship clash with Botafogo-SP, but he was unable to inspire his team to victory as the game ended in a 1-1 draw.

“It’s time to be patient and get some matches under my belt,” he said. “I’m sure Santos will improve a lot. We’ll all click at some stage and the team will start winning. I have no doubt the fans will be happy.”

The occasion marked Neymar’s first game for Santos since 2013, when he left to join Barcelona. The game’s kick-off was pushed back to accommodate prime-time television and fans flocked to the stadium to see their hero’s homecoming.

Signs of an anticlimax were evident from the outset, however, as Santos manager Pedro Caixinha put Neymar – who was celebrating his 33rd birthday – on the substitutes’ bench.

Santos took the lead through a first-half penalty from Tiquinho Soares and Neymar’s introduction after the interval sought to kill off any chance of a Botafogo-SP victory.

But Alexandre de Jesus put the visitors on level terms in the 67th minute before any notion of a shock result dissipated as Wallison was sent off for scything down Neymar.