Neymar: From shanty-town kid dreaming of being a Power Ranger to real-life superhero for millions of Brazilians

“WE didn’t start from zero… we started from minus five.”

Neymar Sr’s account of his son’s poverty-stricken upbringing stands in stark contrast to the world’s most-expensive footballer’s lavish Parisian lifestyle.

The £198million striker – raking in over £515k-a-week since last summer’s blockbuster transfer – has turned the Parc des Princes into one of the globe’s most exclusive celebrity hangouts.

The likes of Rihanna, Tyga, Naomi Campbell, the Kardashians and the Beckhams have flocked to the French capital to catch a glimpse of Neymar in action.

While Justin Bieber, Drake and Lewis Hamilton are just three high-profile names on a long list of A-list pals.

But tales of all-night after-parties and diva-ish rows with team-mates have made onlookers question whether Neymar is taking his eye off the ball.

The rags-to-riches journey from the Brazilian favelas to soccer superstardom has become a familiar tale in the modern global game.

But, all too often, talent goes unfulfilled as more and more zeroes appear at the end of bank balances.

The mind-boggling figures involved in his Paris Saint-Germain contract will bring Neymar money and fame on an unprecedented level.

But a look beyond the spotlight shows why this shanty-town Samba sensation will never forget his roots…

GROWING up in Mogi das Cruzes, a run-down suburb of Sao Paulo, the future Brazil captain’s life was a struggle from the very beginning.

Times were so tough for parents Nadine and Neymar Sr that they could not even afford an ultrasound scan prior to his birth.

We didn’t start from zero… we started from minus five.

Neymar Sr

And, aged just four months, infant Neymar miraculously survived being thrown from a car in a horror smash that left his father with a broken hip.

As a toddler, Neymar often had to survive without electricity and live only by candlelight in the young family’s tiny home.

Neymar’s parents celebrate his first birthday in under-privileged Mogi das CruzesNeymar Sr describes the area as “a very low social-quality neighbourhood”, adding: “We even used to live here when it was a dumping ground, where the entire city threw their garbage.”

Yet things soon got worse when injury problems after the crash forced him to give up his own lower-league football career – and with it, all of his income.

The whole family – now with the addition of baby Rafaella – had no option but to move to Neymar’s grandparents’ tiny house, where they shared one mattress.

And, while young Neymar developed his own ball skills on the streets and futsal court, his father worked three jobs – as a labourer, a mechanic and a salesman – to keep a roof over everyone’s heads.

Earlier this year, Neymar Sr recalled: “That wasn’t that long ago, around 2000. We lived there until Neymar became a professional.

“We have always helped him pursue all his dreams, since a very early age.

“As a child, he wanted to be everything – Superman, Power Rangers. The kid was hyperactive. He still is.”

And his father’s devotion is something that Neymar has never forgotten, despite his growing world-wide popularity.

Their relationship has been pivotal to every step in his career. It is no coincidence that he wears Neymar Jr on the back of his shirts.

And it was never more evident than in an Instagram post before sealing his PSG switch, when Neymar wrote: “You represent ALL my FRIENDS … having you as a friend is one of the best things I have in my life. I love you, Dad!”

We have always helped him pursue all his dreams, since a very early age. As a child, he wanted to be everything – Superman, Power Rangers. The kid was hyperactive. He still is.

Neymar Sr

Neymar’s unwavering affinity to his family doesn’t stop there. He has the faces of his sister, mum Nadine and son Davi Lucca tattooed on his body.

He has even raised suspicion by missing games through suspension or illness on each of Rafaella’s past three birthdays.

Neymar earned his Santos debut aged 17, after rejecting the advances of Real Madrid as 14-year-old to stay with his family.

After snubbing Los Blancos, he and his father signed an agreement with the Brazilian side that they would negotiate any future transfer themselves.

And, when he did finaly make his move to Europe with Barcelona in 2013, the whole family’s lived were changed forever.

Acting as his son’s agent, Neymar Sr earned £35m by brokering the transfer – a £9m down-payment upfront, and £26m more when the deal was finalised.

Controversially, Santos received just £15m for developing and nurturing their home-grown sensation.