Mikael Lustig Says Neymar Theatrics Will Stop Him Being Loved Like Lionel Messi

Celtic defender Mikael Lustig believes Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar needs to cut out the theatrics if he wants to be adored like Barcelona's Lionel Messi. 

PSG hammered the Scottish champions 5-0 in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, with Neymar getting on the scoresheet. However, his night was blemished by a yellow card for dissent; the Brazilian lost his temper after going down and not being awarded a free-kick.

Lustig praised the natural talent of Neymar but had a few words of warning for the world's most expensive player, per John Greechan of the Scottish Daily Mail.

"I think he's probably up there already with Messi and [Cristiano] Ronaldo—he's so sharp, such an amazing footballer. But, if he wants to be liked as much as Messi, he needs to stop that. It was the same as usual, though, from Neymar. He is such an unbelievable footballer, but we have seen the other stuff before—and we will see it again."

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Lustig has previously branded the former Barcelona forward "football's biggest actor."

As noted by Bleacher Report's Gianni Verschueren, the PSG No. 10 wasn't the only player who picked up a caution for unsportsmanlike behaviour in the Champions League on Tuesday:

Per Mark Jones of the Daily Mirror, Messi sought to get Juventus' Miralem Pjanic booked when waving an imaginary card and ended up receiving a caution himself. He then put his hand on the match official's back to try to get his attention.

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Neymar attracted controversy for his conduct at the final whistle following the match against Celtic, as he appeared to refuse to shake hands or swap shirts with youngster Anthony Ralston. The duo had clashed earlier in the match, with the 18-year-old laughing at the Brazilian during the game.

But, as shared by Neymar on his Twitter account, he had agreed to donate his jersey to the Marina Dalglish Appeal, a charity that supports women with breast cancer, for auction:

Although there are times when the PSG star does seem to go to ground a little too easily, his build and speed of dribbling mean it's easy for him to be knocked off balance. Additionally, winning fouls and inviting contact has become part of the modern game.

His legacy will be determined by his football. Players such as Zinedine Zidane, Diego Maradona and even Messi are no angels but are defined by their footballing ability. Neymar will be out to show he belongs in that bracket by pushing PSG to the biggest honours.