Neymar 'like a father' to PSG prodigy
Martin Macdonald
- 24 Mar 2022 11:49 CDT
- 3 min read
Paris Saint-Germain wonderkid Xavi Simons has expressed his admiration for team-mate Neymar.
The Brazilian is not enjoying a good campaign for the French giants and following the club's elimination from the Champions League at the hands of Real Madrid a couple of weeks ago, he was subsequently booed by his own fans in the next match.
Due to his price tag of €222 million and his massive wages, there is naturally always a spotlight shone on Neymar, and at the moment the light is accompanied by heavy criticism.
However, Simons remains a father, saying Neymar is "like a father to him" at PSG.
"He's the one who often comes to me and asks me if I need something or if I need something. to know things," the young Dutchman told NOS.
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"He's also a very good guy off the pitch. A really good person and that's important too."
"I think that he sees me a bit like a little brother. He saw me grow up when I was at Barca. I also did a commercial with him at the time. It creates a bond."
Who is Xavi Simons?
Simons joined Barcelona's famed academy La Masia at the age of seven from previous club CD Thader.
He worked through the ranks of the youth system but never actually made a first team debut for the Catalan side after a contract dispute.
Simons would eventually leave for PSG as a free agent 16-year-old.
In February of 2021, Simons made his debut for PSG in a Coupe de France match against Caen, coming on as a substitute for Julian Draxler.
A couple of months later he would play for a minute or so off the bench in a Ligue 1 match against Strasbourg.
Ahead of the 2021/22 season he was included in pre-season friendlies by head coach Mauricio Pochettino, while he has made four subsequent Ligue 1 appearances.
Though Simons insists he is happy in Paris, his contract runs out in June.
