Neymar: Remembering the Brazilian Superstar's First Year as a Professional

As Santos' match against Oeste approached the hour mark, the travelling fans had grown impatient with the uninspiring display in this Campeonato Paulista contest.

With both sides goalless, a low murmur ringing around the ground grew into fevered shouts aimed at the bench.

'Neymar! Neymar!'

Vagner Mancini gave in to the crowd's demands in the 59th minute, ushering the 17-year-old forward to the touchline for his first ever senior appearance on 7 March 2009.

No sooner had Neymar entered the fray than his name was again on the lips of the expectant fans. The teenager's mishit cross kissed the frame of the goal with one of his first touches, wriggling down the right flank as he battled with his billowing jersey as much as the opposition defender.

Santos won 2-1 but this was the day that the Brazilian public finally caught a glimpse of the latest sensation. Before Neymar had even trained with the first team, let alone made his debut, the wheels of the hype machine had begun to turn.

Neymar was hardly the first to receive a notable build up but few had attracted quite the same attention as the future Barcelona winger. On the eve of that game against Oeste - in an attempt to ward off the circling European superpowers monitoring their man - Santos ensured Neymar signed a bumper five-year contract, inserting a whopping €30m buyout clause.

The week after Neymar made his debut, his first start brought his first goal against Mogi Mirim.

At first he was 'the new Robinho'. Then, as he netted two more goals in the next three games he became 'the new Pelé'. The three-time World Cup winner himself, before Neymar had even completed his debut campaign, suggested that Santos' latest starlet could one day eclipse even his achievements.

Neymar was picked in the starting XI for the remainder of the Paulista and scored the winner in the first leg of the semi-finals against rivals Palmeiras. However, in a final billed as the future meeting the past, Neymar and Santos lost to the legendary Ronaldo's Corinthians.

The Santos team that Neymar joined were in a state of flux. At the time, the club's last national championship (Campeonato Brasileiro) came in 2004 and they were embroiled in financial woes. Soon after the Brasileiro began, Neymar was dropped to the bench.

With their widely-touted superstar sidelined and after a run of poor results, the Santos fans even took to pelting the team coach with eggs following a particularly painful 6-2 loss to Vítoria - Neymar wasn't even a substitute in that game.

As the season entered its final few months, Neymar travelled to the Under-17 World Cup with Brazil in October. The Santos winger wasn't considered the most exciting prospect at the time as Philippe Coutinho stole most of the headlines. Future Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson and Real Madrid's Casemiro were also part of the squad as Brazil were considered clear favourites.

However, after Neymar scored to help the Seleção limp past Japan, successive 1-0 losses to Mexico and Switzerland abruptly ended their participation. In both defeats Neymar was substituted despite the fact that Brazil were searching for a goal.

Neymar seemed to be a changed man after that crushing international disappointment. Chelsea thought they had won the race for his coveted signature only to be turned down at the last minute, with some believing Neymar's experience at the international level had highlighted (for himself) how much he still had to grow as a player.

In his first game back at Santos, the teenager trotted up to the touchline at half time against Náutico - just a week after playing against Switzerland - to the sound of the Santos fans already nearing delirium at the prospect of his introduction.

Within ten minutes, his dancing feet had left two opponents booked before he notched the first brace of his senior career in a 3-1 win. Across his final five games of the season, the prodigy racked up six goals - as many as in his previous 38 appearances.

Seemingly hardened by the first notable failure of his embryonic career, Neymar would continue to display this newfound scoring touch the following season, finishing the 2010 campaign with a frightening tally of 42 goals across all competitions.

Ultimately, Santos were able to hold on to their sensation until 2013. Neymar may have been one of many Brazilian youngsters given superstar billing before kicking a ball, but few have come as close to realising that potential.