On his day, with a football at his feet, there’s simply nothing you can do to stop Neymar.

From being the young star on everybody’s lips to an established forward at Barcelona, the 25-year-old has enjoyed quite the career so far. As a result, when the man himself talks about his peers, it’s probably worth taking note.

Well, in the case of three strikers, there is great reason to be both flattered by and grateful to, the Brazilian. In fact, they’re the three young forwards that Neymar believes could inherit his mantle.

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Neymar’s rise

The pressure on an up and coming forward can often be career-ruining in football. Therefore, when Neymar was thrust into the spot light and the Brazilian first team at age 18, many watched on with trepidation.

To say the 25-year-old has dealt well with the expectation, though, would be putting it mildly.

Neymar effortlessly transitioned from Brazilian football to La Liga and has scored on no less than 100 occasions at the Nou Camp. Don’t forget to throw in two La Liga titles, two Copa Del Reys and the Champions League too of course.

Moreover, he is just 25 goals away from Pele’s all time scoring record for Brazil and he could have another decade of top-class football in his locker.

So we can safely say that Neymar is qualified when it comes to knowing the experience of young footballers in the limelight and overcoming the odds to succeed. That being said, who is next in line?

Three star strikers

Well, Neymar has offered an insight into his opinion and named the three young strikers he is most excited about.

In an interview with Esporte Interativo, as retorted by The Sun, the Barcelona man explained: “Of the new generation, I like (Antoine) Griezmann very much, but I have a great affection for Gabriel Jesus.

“I love him for how he plays and because we play together in the Selecao and we did at the Rio Olympic Games.

“He has entered the main Selecao very well, he is a boy with a lot of potential.

“I will also say Dybala, the famous Argentinian left-footer. If you leave him alone, he can hurt you. On Wednesday, we [Barcelona] will not be able to leave him any space.”

A sprinkling of Brazilian bias in there perhaps, but it’s hard to argue with Neymar’s choices. All three have big futures ahead of them and two already wield fearsome goal scoring records.

Respective futures

As far as Griezmann is concerned, the Frenchman seems to have the world at his feet. He is heavily linked with a move to Manchester United and Atletico Madrid’s mediocre season may deliver the final push to English shores.

Gabriel Jesus has settled into the Premier League much better than expected and could experience a surge of improvement under Pep Guardiola. The three goals he has already will do harm for his self esteem.

As for Dybala, Neymar should hand out praise with caution as the two look to fight it out for a place in the Champions League semi finals. Furthermore, it seems that the student, as opposed to the master, has the upper hand.

Nevertheless, the Brazilian seems both qualified and confident in his picks. If any of the trio progress into a player anywhere near the quality of Neymar, they’re set for a star studded and trophy ladened ride.

That being said, regardless of how things turn out, they’ve just been handed quite the morale boost, if nothing else.

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