Brazil striker Neymar has vowed to keep on partying after being asked if his off the field activities could harm the country’s chances of winning their first Olympic soccer title.

The Barcelona player was not released by his club to play in June’s Copa America but went to the US to support his team-mates and was pictured hanging out with Hollywood celebrities and pop singer Justin Bieber.

He will be back to lead the Olympic side against South Africa, Iraq and Denmark in the group stage but the outstanding Brazilian player of his generation promised he would remain his own man.

“I think you have to start by looking at what I do on the pitch,” he told reporters.

“The moment I am off the field it’s my personal time. I like to go out and have fun with some of my friends.

“I have family too so why can’t I go out to clubs? I can and I will. I am well aware what my duties are the next day. I am going to keep going out and I don’t see anything wrong with that.”

He added that any millionaire youngster at the top of his game would live the same lifestyle and challenged reporters to say otherwise.

He said: “Imagine you’re 24 years old, earning what I earn and having all that I have. Wouldn’t you be the same as me?”

Neymar is one of the three over-age players in Brazil’s squad as they attempt to win the gold medal for the first time next month at their home Olympics.

He also featured four years ago at the London Olympic Games when Brazil were defeated in the final by Mexico.

“We conceded a goal after 40 seconds and so we were behind right from the start,” he recalled.

“That’s hard. You have to be switched on the whole game.

“Any detail can be fatal.”