Brazil star Neymar looks back to his best ahead of World Cup

PARIS: Was that really Neymar?

You had to blink and look again but, yes, it was him, sprinting down the left touchline deep into stoppage time desperately trying to keep the ball in play last weekend during the 1-1 home draw with Monaco at Parc des Princes.

Neymar, the self-indulgent prince of PSG for so many years, was working as hard as anyone on the field. Yes, you read that last part correctly.

In what is great news for Brazil ahead of the World Cup in Qatar, a slim, athletic Neymar looks fitter and sharper than he has for several years after being dogged by fitness worries, questions over his lifestyle choices, and dragged down by persistent foot injuries.

Since joining PSG for a world record €222 million (then $263 million) in 2017, Neymar has appeared in only 92 league games from a possible 190 — a remarkably low 48 percent.

Then there was his attitude, his irritating attempts at humiliating opponents or berating teammates for not giving him the ball — only to fall short when PSG really needed him deep in the Champions League.

That seems to have changed, too.

There have been no histrionics, no rolling around on the ground like at the 2018 World Cup and every season since with PSG, except for this one.

Neymar’s attitude has changed to the extent that he even acted as a peacemaker late on against Monaco when several players were involved in a flare up.

Oh, and not to mention his hatful of goals.

Neymar’s penalty against Monaco took him to eight goals in five games, including the preseason French Champions Trophy. He’s added six assists for good measure, meaning he’s been involved in nearly three goals per game.

Little wonder, then, that sports daily L’Equipe has him top of the charts with an average