‘If I had to choose one player‘ — Raphinha names former Barcelona winger as the player he admires most | OneFootball

FC Barcelona star Raphinha has been a revelation under Hansi Flick. His absence has been sorely felt by the team in recent weeks, during which the Catalan club has dropped points left, right, and centre, and one cannot wait for his return.

One of the club captains, Raphinha, is a leader with or without the armband. His intense pressing is infectious and prompts his teammates to back him in recovering the ball high up and turning it into a goalscoring opportunity.

In his absence, the press up front has taken a massive hit. This, in turn, is allowing opponents to play in behind the high line with ease. This is one of the major reasons Barcelona have been conceding a lot of goals.

In an interview with GQ Hype magazine, as quoted by SPORT, Raphinha was asked about one player he admires, and here is who he named:

“If I had to choose one player I admire, I’d say Neymar. Seeing up close how he understands the game, his intelligence, his simplicity, and how he does effortlessly what seems impossible to others… It’s simply on another level.”

Photo by Pedro Vilela/Getty Images

Neymar is a player who has inspired an entire generation of Brazilians to take up the sport. His international record speaks for itself despite the lack of a World Cup, and his skill and talent are unparalleled.

Raphinha understandably has a lot of admiration for his international team-mate, despite the difficult moment he is going through. The veteran Brazilian attacker has struggled with injuries for far too long now, and it does not seem to be ending any time soon.

Neymar continues to fight his way at Santos with the hope of making it to the Brazilian squad for the World Cup in the United States. If he ends up making it, Raphinha will have to do everything he can to help a player he admires lift the coveted trophy, in what is arguably his last opportunity. Let’s wait and see how things play out.