Paris Saint Germain forward Neymar has piled the praise on Manchester United legend David Beckham.
He went as far as saying he has modelled much of his career around Becks.
The PSG star is regarded as one of the best players in world football, but like Beckham, there is constant coverage of his luxurious lifestyle off the pitch.
READ MORE: Tony Cascarino tips former Arsenal star as perfect fit for Man Utd
Neymar is not shy of posting about his nights out on Instagram, which you could say shows he asks for attention and wants to be in the media spotlight.
However, Neymar was a child when he first became aware of Beckham and subsequently went on to study his game.
“I’m a big fan,” the Brazil international told Otro.
“I remember when I was younger I always followed all types of players, all the big players.
“I followed David because of the way he kicked the ball, because of the amazing passes he gave, because of his goals, because of his determination on the pitch. So, I always followed him.
“For the person he is, the football he played, I think everything came from David.”
Of course, the flashy Neymar didn’t stop without mentioning Beckham’s love for fashion.
He added: “I copied quite a few of his haircuts. Many, we model ourselves after him. I think he is one of the most stylish people in the world, so we need to copy him. We are not as handsome as him, but we try to copy him!
“I think we needed to have a pioneer, someone who was brave enough to do this. I think the courage David has is symbol of this. I am also criticised for getting a different haircut, or for wearing a different outfit. I think the criticism never ends.
“But players like us, who are seen as a reference, like it or not, we are treated differently for wearing a more modern outfit. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it if it makes us feel good.
“So I thank David for being the pioneer, for opening the doors to the fashion world.”
Seriously, if there was a pioneer for a football opening the doors to the fashion world, it would be George Best.
The Belfast Boy would teach Neymar and Becks a thing or two about fashion.
We recommend visiting the National Football Museum in Manchester city centre for their section on football fashion alone. If memory serves us correctly there’s a brilliant section on Bestie’s clobber.
