Paris, Sep 12 (IANS): German sportswear giant Puma on Saturday announced that it has signed a long-term partnership with Brazil and Paris St Germain star Neymar.

The development comes two weeks after the forward's nearly 15-year association with Nike came to an end.

The 28-year-old put out a message on his social media handles entitled "The King is Back", in which spoke about the impact that football greats such as Pele and Diego Maradona have had on his life, and his decision to follow in their footsteps by partnering with Puma.

"I grew up watching videos of great football legends such as Pele, (Johan) Cruyff, Eusebio and Maradona," he said.

"These were the kings of the pitch, the kings of my sport. I wish to bring back the legacy that those athletes created on the pitch. They each played in PUMA, and each of them created their magic in The KING.

"Every time I lace my boots, my KING boots, I will do anything to achieve all of my dreams to honour my name and that of all those great ones who wore the KING before me. This will be my PUMA history. The KING is back!"

"Neymar joining our Puma Family is fantastic," said Puma CEO Bjorn Gulden.

"He is one of the best players in the world and extremely relevant for the global football and youth culture. We are very excited and look forward to working with him both on and off the pitch."