To say that Brazil has a history of unearthing young talent would be considered quite an understatement. When a country counts the likes of Pele, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Kaka and Robinho among its former teenage prodigies, you can rest assured that it knows a thing or two about developing young players.
While reaching the level of Pele remains the aspiration for every young Brazilian player, the Samba stars seem to bring through a new Wunderkind every few years, with Santos' Neymar the latest to attract attention from Europe.
Despite his tender age, with the ball at his feet, there are few better; his pace and dribbling skills have earned him worldwide praise, while a goalscoring record of 27 in 30 games since the start of the year has catapulted him into the global consciousness. A supporting striker with a desire to drift in from the flanks, he has, of course, been compared to both Pele and Robinho because of his playing style and club attachment, but suggestions that a move to Chelsea could put him among the best in the business may be premature.
Pele was 15 when he made his debut in a 7-1 win for Santos in 1956 and the inevitable comparisons were set in stone as soon as a 17-year-old Neymar set foot on the pitch for his debut in March 2009. However, to mention the forward in the same breath as Pele already would be churlish. Few players in the history of the game will ever come close to emulating the achievements of the 'greatest of all-time' and Neymar would be better served by being judged against contemporaries who are still playing.
Over the past 16 years, three players of a similar style have placed themselves among the pantheon of Brazilian football. In a World Cup year, each was 18 (like Neymar) and were just embarking on the path to success with their clubs. If the new Santos sensation can achieve anything like them, he will have done well.
In 1994, a striker by the name of Ronaldo earned himself a move to Dutch side PSV Eindhoven having netted 12 goals in 14 appearances for Cruzeiro in his first professional season. A $6 million transfer gave notice of his potential and he used the Eredivisie as a stepping stone to further success with Barcelona, Inter and Real Madrid, as he scored 30 goals in 33 games in his first year.
Ronaldo was called up to the Brazilian 1994 World Cup-winning squad, although failed to make an appearance as the likes of Bebeto and Romario kept him out of the side. The experience would serve him well though as he picked up almost every trophy and personal award there is to win during the rest of his career.
The World Cup also missed out on the next Brazilian Wunderkind, Ronaldinho, four years later in 1998. Having made the breakthrough at Gremio that year, his elevation to the world stage took a lot longer as he was protected (some may say too much) by his club, but the potential was still there to be seen from an early age - especially with his performances in that year's Copa Libertadores.
With just five games under his belt in the first-team, 1999 proved to be his chance to shine as he starred in the World Youth Championship for Brazil, but it took another two seasons before he moved on to Europe and French club PSG for $5 million. Eventually, aged 23, he reached his full potential with Barcelona in a five-year spell from 2003 that saw him acclaimed as the best player on the planet for two successive years.
Robinho - the final superstar to have been placed in the Pele mould - then followed in the footsteps of the other two 'R's and made his bow in Brazilian football (also at the age of 18) in 2002. During his first season with Santos he played in 24 games, scoring nine times and creating many other chances for his team-mates, but he stayed in Brazil for three more years and did not move on to Real Madrid until he was 21.
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The youngster is attracting attention.
Of all three stars, Robinho's is perhaps the example that Neymar should pay most attention to. Having been on the verge of signing for Chelsea himself - before opting for a British-record £32 million move to Manchester City - Robinho's failures to achieve success in England can be attributed to well-documented personal problems that created a barrier to achieving his potential. Ultimately, his questionable temperament saw him return to Santos on loan - a warning of what the worst excesses of fame and fortune can do to a young player - and Neymar should take heed.
Certainly a move to Europe would bring the immediate financial rewards that all young Brazilian players crave, however Neymar may do well to learn from his predecessors, develop his game in his homeland and then move on in a few years time.
It is no accident that Ronaldo and Robinho are now plying their trade back in Brazil, while the greatest of them all, Pele, only left the country towards the end of his glittering career, having notched up well over a thousand appearances for Santos.
Neymar certainly has the potential to follow in the footsteps of the greatest in the game and, by the time the 2014 World Cup in Brazil rolls around, will certainly be plying his trade at one of Europe's elite. However, he should be aware he is treading a well-worn path.
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