Back in the summer of 2013, a carnival atmosphere could be found at Camp Nou — 60,000 supporters produced a cacophony of noise and colour to greet the arrival of Neymar as he strode on to the pitch at his official unveiling.

Even with so many star-studded names peppering their squad throughout the years, it’s doubtful Barcelona had ever seen anything quite like it.

Normally such welcomes are the exclusive preserve of pop stars, but it seems today’s top footballing exponents are just as box office as their musical contemporaries.

A “galactico” type purchase not in keeping with Barca’s usual modus operandi meant that the pressure on the young Brazilian to deliver was instant, and as the true cost of his transfer became known, the scrutiny intensified. Unfair or not, that was the reality.

A new country with new customs, new teammates and a new way of playing. It’s pretty obvious in hindsight to see why the youngster might have struggled during his opening campaign for the Blaugrana.

You could sense by the staccato nature of his game play that things just weren’t clicking for him on the pitch, no doubt as a result of off-field tribulations.

Fleeting glimpses of his form for the Selecao punctuated his performances as the season progressed, a freedom in play that was much more conducive to Barca’s fluid style of attacking play.

By season’s end, Neymar was beginning to win around the doubters.

An astonishingly good World Cup — he can be absolved of any blame for the Germany defeat due to injury — perhaps gave the Catalans a hint as to where best to employ the youngster and certainly the Neymar that came blazing out of the blocks at the beginning of this season was almost unrecognisable from the same player of just 12 months previously.

Lightning fast, purposeful, much more mature in possession and looking every inch the footballing superstar that Barca knew he could become, Neymar’s threat was, and remains, omnipresent.

And he’s started to weigh in heavily in the goals for column, too.

Well into double figures in scoring terms and with a handful of assists, his application is far more incisive now. His choice and range of passes is so much more considered and his movement along the attacking lines is complimentary to those around him.

Where once you could have successfully argued for the inclusion of either Alexis Sanchez or Pedro Rodriguez at the Brazilian’s expense, there is no case to answer now.

In many respects, the Luis Suarez we are bearing witness to at present is the Neymar of 12 months ago. Foraging for scraps rather than waiting for the hearty feast. Trying a little too hard and forcing matters. His time will come, of course.

In any event, with “Messi-dependance” long being debated, it was about time the argument was put to bed and Neymar’s consistency this season has gone some way to seeing the end of that particular conversation.

Indeed, those 60,000 die-hard supporters have patiently waited and now they have their new hero. One who will undoubtedly have the baton passed down to him eventually by Messi, just as the Argentine was the grateful recipient from Ronaldinho.

Full of energy, full of conviction and full of goals, Neymar’s samba beat has finally got the Blaugrana faithful dancing to his tune. And we’re all invited to the party.

— The writer is a freelance journalist and Spanish football expert