Luis Enrique: Neymar is a top player, he doesn't hide

Following recent criticism about Neymar's performance on the pitch, the Barcelona manager has leapt to his defence and insisted that the Barcelona forward is a top player who never hides.

Neymar had gone five matches without a single goal, but the Brazilian captain has now scored in back-to-back La Liga matched following the Catalan giants' 6-0 rout of Sporting Gijon on Saturday.

Luis Enrique told reporters after the match, "He's got a lot of personality, he's a top player and he keeps trying to do everything,

"He never hides away. He's always fighting, he'll press our rivals, he can take a penalty even when things are going his way. That's why he is a top player.

"Other kind of players would try to be less participative into this situation. I would like to highlight the fans' attitude, singing 'Neymar, Neymar' when he needs it most.

"We need them to reinforce our player when things don’t go as we wish."