Have you ever sat down and watched a Neymar highlight reel on YouTube? You can be there for days looking at all the flicks and tricks that the brilliant Brazilian has produced during his time with Barcelona, Paris Saint Germain and on international duty with the Selecao.
It’s these flicks, skills and tricks that make him one of the most entertaining players on the planet. They also make him one of the best as he’s able to get out of the tightest spots by bamboozling defenders who think they’ve got the better of him. They also make him creative and unpredictable which are fantastic attributes to any player.
If you want to add some Neymar tricks to your repertoire, then you’ve come to the right place. Here are our top three Neymar skills and how to do them.
The heel drag back
Neymar uses the heel drag back to get out of tight situations when he is shielding the ball with his back to an opponent. It’s a brilliant trick to learn as not only does it get you out of the spot you’re in when it might appear like there is nowhere to go, but it can also turn you into space to exploit once you’ve escaped the attention of the player attacking you.
Step 1: The first step is to get yourself set with a low centre of gravity and your arms out for maximum balance.
Step 2: Drag the ball behind you with your studs before flicking your leg upwards to push the ball behind the defender.
Step 3: Use your standing leg to push off, spring around the defender and retrieve the ball the other side of them before sprinting off into space.
The defender will be confused about where the ball has gone and left wondering whether to stick with you or turn around and try and retrieve the loose ball. It also comes as a surprise to the defender so it is imperative that you make use of the time you have gained after pulling off the skill.
The inside stepover panna
The trouble any defender has when coming face-to-face with Neymar is that you never quite know what he is going to do. The inside stepover panna is one example of this as a couple of quick steps are followed by a cheeky nutmeg, leaving an opponent completely confused by what has just happened to them.
Step 1: Face the opponent with the ball all but stationary in a Wild West-style standoff.
Step 2: Push the ball across your body with the inside of your foot before doing an inside stepover with the leg you’ve just used. That will force the defender into stepping sideways, following the ball across your body,
Step 3: Once the defender has moved, use your other foot to push it between their now open legs, collecting it from the other side once you’ve brushed your way past the opponent.
The Okocha Sombrero Flick
The Okocha sombrero flick is one of the cheekiest tricks in Neymar’s armoury and one of the most entertaining. It involves waiting for the opportune moment and then scooping the ball over their head before collecting it on the other side. It looks spectacular when done right, check them out here.
Step 1: Stop the ball dead and wait for an opponent to come towards you. As they approach, put your strongest foot right underneath the ball.
Step 2: Scoop the ball over the head of the onrushing opponent and then use your standing leg to push off and sprint past them.
By the time the defender has realised what is going on and turned around, you’ll have breezed away and collected the ball as it drops out of the sky, leaving you free to advance to the next opponent.
We hope that you have enjoyed these 3 Neymar skills and that they demonstrate how is an incredibly intelligent, creative and confident player. It’s important to always be improving your armoury of skills and to constantly look for the next thing you can learn to better your game. At We Make Footballers, our coaches teach all the fundamentals of skills and ball manipulation techniques that could be useful in a game.
Why not try a free session at your local centre to see for yourself?!
