'Neymar is my inspiration' - Vinicius reveals how he follows star's lead

Vinicius Junior revealed he views Neymar as an ‘inspiration’ for dealing with critics and being a star for club and country at the same time.

Vinicius is one of the most exciting young players on Real Madrid’s books, having already established himself in the first-team.

The future indeed seems rosy with great expectations already on the 20-year-old’s young shoulders as he seeks to maintain his promising rate of progress in the Spanish capital for the upcoming seasons.

But Vinicius’ glowering reputation hasn’t come without a price, namely in the rise of critics. Being in the spotlight means mistakes are more noticeable and denounced more frequently compared to your average player, which is something he could do without at such a young age.

And critics have certainly taken aim at the forward’s lack of end product, despite Zinedine Zidane calling for patience in this regard.

But Vinicius remains upbeat over his prospects for club and country, citing compatriot Neymar as an example he can use to reach the pinnacle of football.

Asked by Yellow and Green Football on the constant attention coming his way, Vinicius replied: “Some people don’t even like Neymar.

“I don’t like thinking about the bad moments of my career. Sure, I hope to be able to make all Brazilians like me one day. I hope to play for the national team again.

“Many of my idols are there. Neymar is my inspiration.

“I’ve been working towards a call-up and I hope to make our people happy. I want to play at the next World Cup.”

Vinicius is currently preparing for Real Madrid’s La Liga opener away to Real Sociedad on September 20.