RIO DE JANEIRO - Neymar admitted he would need to be patient after an emotional return to original club Santos on Wednesday.
The star forward came off the bench after halftime of the Brazilian Paulista Championship clash with Botafogo-SP, but he was unable to inspire his team to victory as the game ended in a 1-1 draw.
"It's time to be patient and get some matches under my belt," he said. "I'm sure Santos will improve a lot. We'll all click at some stage and the team will start winning. I have no doubt the fans will be happy."
The occasion marked Neymar's first game for Santos since 2013, when he left to join Barcelona. The game's kick-off was pushed back to accommodate prime-time television and fans flocked to the stadium to see their hero's homecoming.
Signs of an anticlimax were evident from the outset, however, as Santos manager Pedro Caixinha put Neymar - who was celebrating his 33rd birthday - on the substitutes' bench.
Santos took the lead through a first-half penalty from Tiquinho Soares and Neymar's introduction after the interval sought to kill off any chance of a Botafogo-SP victory.
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But Alexandre de Jesus put the visitors on level terms in the 67th minute before any notion of a shock result dissipated as Wallison was sent off for scything down Neymar.
"I can't find the words to express the feeling when you love something," the Santos No. 10 said. "I love this club very much and I can't find the words to describe the feeling I felt when I stepped out onto the pitch today."
Neymar signed a six-month contract with the outfit that launched his career last week after ending an injury-hit spell at Al-Hilal by mutual consent.
The Brazilian national team's all-time leading scorer made just seven appearances for the Saudi Pro League side following his August 2023 move from Paris Saint-Germain.
The attacker sustained a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament while playing for Brazil in a World Cup qualifier against Uruguay in October 2023. He returned to action in October last year but has since struggled for form and fitness.
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In a press conference last Friday, Neymar admitted he was not yet fully fit but said he was "ready and eager" to play.
