“They said he was finished”, “More than just a footballer” - Fans stunned as Neymar hat-trick with meniscus injury helps Santos in relegation battle

Fans were impressed with Neymar - battling with injuries - starring with a hat-trick as relegation-threatened Santos won 3-0 at Juventude on Wednesday (December 3) to move out of the drop zone.

Brazil's all-time top scorer has been plagued by a meniscus injury of late but put that aside with a sumptuous second-half display at the Alfredo Jaconi. Neymar opened the scoring in the 56th minute before doubling his team's lead less than 10 minutes later.

The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain striker then stepped up from the spot 17 minutes from time to complete his 10th hat-trick for his boyhood club, 22nd overall, all while not being at 100%.

Fans couldn't help but marvel at the 33-year-old's exploits, with one remarking:

"Injured Neymar scores a hat-trick. Can you imagine scoring a hat-trick while playing through injury, just to save your boyhood club? Neymar is doing absolutely EVERYTHING to keep Santos up."

It was Neymar's fifth goal in three games, with three of them coming in one outing, as noted by another fan.

One fan remarked:

"This isn't just skill; it's heart. Neymar proving why he's more than just a footballer."

Another wrote:

"They said he was finished a few days ago."

There were similar reactions from other fans:

Santos are now unbeaten in five games in the Brasileiro Serie A, winning three - including the last two - as they look to avoid relegation for only the second time in their illustrious 111-year history.

It's pertinent to note that Neymar's meniscus injury will need end-of-season surgery (as per BolaVIP), but he defied medical advice to aid his side's quest to avoid relegation.

How has Neymar fared for Santos on his return?

Neymar returned to his boyhood club Santos earlier this year after an injury-plagued stint with Al-Hilal in the Saudi Pro League. The 33-year-old has had decent returns despite struggling to be fit.

In 27 games across competitions, he has contributed 11 goals and four assists. Eight of those goals and one assist have come in 19 outings in the Brasileiro Serie A as Santos look to steer clear of the relegation zone.

Neymar and Co. next take on Cruzeiro at home on the last day of league action on Sunday (December 7).

Edited by Bhargav