Football
ESPN staff 7y

Entire PSG team will help Neymar become world's best - Javier Pastore

Javier Pastore says he and his Paris Saint-Germain teammates will help Neymar become the world's best player after the former Barcelona man swapped the Camp Nou for the Parc des Princes on Thursday.

Neymar was given a hero's reception ahead of PSG's Ligue 1-opening 2-0 victory against newly promoted Amiens on Saturday, and later in the day saw the Eiffel Tower lit in the club's colours to welcome the Brazil superstar to the city.

The six-time French Champions spent huge sums to bring Neymar to Paris, including a world record €222 million transfer fee in addition to a post-tax €30m yearly salary over five seasons.

Pastore gave up his shirt number in order to make the former Santos man more comfortable in his new team -- trading his old No. 10 for No. 27 -- and told reporters after the game it was an easy concession to make.

"No, actually it was very easy [to give up No. 10]," Pastore said. "I'd been asked for five days, by the directors, and [PSG sporting director] Antero Henrique. I know he likes No. 10, and it's important for the club to have a No. 10 like Neymar because of what he represents.

"It's not a problem for me to use No. 27. I love that number. I was, happy to have used No. 10 after [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic and before Neymar."

The 25-year-old has been widely tipped to be the successor to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as the game's best player. Neymar said as recently as March that winning the Ballon d'Or was a goal, and Pastore confirmed his PSG mates want to help him reach it.

"Neymar is one of the best players in the world and it's fantastic for us. We are very happy with his arrival," Pastore, who scored PSG's second goal on Saturday, said. "We are only hoping that he has the freedom to play and help us win everything this year.

"Our style won't change. It's similar to Barcelona's, with possession and a lot of movement. He's a decisive player. The entire team will help him become the best in the world."

Pastore, 28, was plagued by injuries last season, which saw him appear in just 23 matches in all competitions. He's hoping for better health in 2017-18.

He said: "I will try to be available for all the games. This is my plan and this is most important. Today I feel good, and have started to get ready, I hope to continue on this path.

"I'm not afraid of getting hurt, because I feel strong. And that's the most important thing."

^ Back to Top ^