'I messed up several times' - Neymar working on not 'exploding' when frustrated

Posted Tuesday, September 24, 2019 by Goal.com

The Brazilian has suffered two long-term problems in recent seasons and has spoken about the frustration of remaining on the sidelines

Neymar has been known to have some explosive moments over the years, but the attacker has admitted he is trying to improve on that, while opening up on his own mental health issues.

The PSG star was caught up in a number of incidents last season , including a suspension for lashing out at referees following his side's Champions League elimination against Manchester United and an incident that saw him attack a fan.

However, the Brazilian is working on getting a better grasp of his temper and watching how he handles himself in times of adversity.

"I'm not a talkative person," he told the Mirror . "I'm a very reserved guy, I keep things to myself.

"But it comes to a point where I end up frustrated, getting angry, exploding and not communicating in a correct way. I'm trying to improve on that.

"Whenever I have to have a certain conversation with someone, I try to talk. And I think this is doing me good.

"I think when you are mentally well things happen naturally. You are more likely to do the right things. If you are not so well, things will not happen the way you expect.

"Sometimes it's hard because you always have to be perfect and as a human being it is impossible."

He added: "I messed up several times and recovering all the confidence I had has a high price, but I think it's normal for human beings to fail, it's part of life and due to these errors you grow and learn.

"My parents, my sister, my family and my friends – it's for them I play football and train every day, as I know they are always on my side. They are the people who helped me when I had nothing, so they are my inspiration."

Neymar also said he is proud to be a role model for others.

"When fame happens to you, it ends up being a little strange, but you get used to it. I feel proud and happy. I am very honoured to be a person who is an example to others. It's a way of encouragement," he said.

"So if I can help somehow, I always try to do the right thing, playing football, taking a photo or giving a hug. I'm very happy with everyone's support."

The forward also revealed he now does preventive workouts on his feet to avoid suffering more injuries.

The Paris-Saint Germain forward has missed large chunks of the last two campaigns after breaking his metatarsal in both 2017-18 and 2018-19.

As a result, Neymar has admitted he has been forced to adopt his training regime to reduce the chance of the problem reoccurring.

"I do preventive workouts with my physical trainer and my physiotherapist," the 27-year-old said.

"It's the worst time in any athlete's career. I had two serious injuries in two years and it left me out of football for practically six months. I missed scoring goals.

"But injuries are part of an athlete's career and we try to prepare ourselves and prevent them from happening. If they do it's so important to maintain good mental health while you recover."