'He's like Messi or Ronaldo' - Alves backs Neymar in wake of criticism

The Brazil fullback spoke out to back the attacker, who has come under fire in recent days

Brazil fullback Dani Alves came to the defence of teammate Neymar in the wake of growing criticism and reports of a potential Paris Saint-Germain exit.

The Paris Saint-Germain winger recently made headlines after he missed out on the start of the team's pre-season, prompting the club to state that "appropriate measures" will be taken to discipline the Brazilan star.

"If a team has Messi, it must play for [Lionel] Messi, as it is with [Cristiano] Ronaldo. And Neymar is no different, he's on another level and, the more the team dedicates itself to him, he'll continue to give an answer on the pitch. I don't think these kind of players do things that are not for the sake of the team," Alves told SporTV's 'Bem Amigos'.

"I realized this when I played with Messi: if he's on my side, why should I do other than trying to get the ball to him? I know how decisive he can be, he must have the ball. And Neymar is that kind of player.

"But sometimes I feel there's this sensibility over Neymar that everything he does should be put under scrutiny. I disagree with a lot of the criticism about him because some of it targets his off-pitch doings and not his football, where he's always provided results.

"As a friend, my job is ensuring Neymar understands that he must find ways to realise his gift for football."