World’s most expensive footballer may be a money-grabber… but he’s doing it for right reasons

“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.

Neymar is paid over£600k a week since £198million move to PSG last summer but he grew up in near povertyCredit: AFP or licensorsNeymar’s childhood was a far cry from his A-list lift-style in Paris

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…

Rihanna has been seen waving a PSG flag while taking in the game in ParisCredit: GettyNaomi Campbell and Lenny Kravitz were in attendance for PSG’s Champions League game with Bayern MunichCredit: GettyBut Becks and the family, including son Brooklyn, have more recently been seen in Paris, watching David’s former club in actionCredit: PA:Empics Sport

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.

A baby Neymar is given a cake at his first birthday party

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.

Neymar and family were forced to share a mattress as his grandparents after Neymar Sr’s football career endedNeymar Sr had to work three jobs to keep a roof over family’s heads after a car crash ended his football careerNeymar enjoys himself on night out in London with Demi Lovato and Layla Anna-Lee after playing England in friendly at Wembley

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 revealed a tattoo of his mum’s face on his bicepCredit: instagramThe PSG star also has his sister, Rafaella, tattooed on his armCredit: Instagram @neymarjr22His father’s eyes are close to his elbowCredit: CENHis son Davi Lucca is also on his armCredit: CEN

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.