Neymar has confirmed he will be re-joining boyhood club Santos, 12 years after he first left to join Barcelona as one of the most promising youngsters to ever come out of Brazil.

"Only Santos can give me the love that I need to prepare for the challenges I have in the next few years. All of you, no matter who you support, know well what I am talking about,” Neymar said on his social media channels. “I hope you all follow me in this new phase of my life.”

Neymar was set to be welcomed back to his boyhood club on Friday by thousands of Santos fans and a concert in the home stadium beneath an electronic sign saying, “The prince is back.” Neymar's private jet landed in the Sao Paulo state countryside from Saudi Arabia in the morning but he requested a few hours of rest before being flown into Santos by helicopter.