Tom Oldfield
Manchester United have never struggled to find a talented right-back. Paul Parker was a consistent performer for the club as they won their first Premier League title back in 1993. And Gary Neville has been fantastic for United in that position for the past 14 years, making himself undroppable and cementing his place as England’s right-back.
However, Neville has been plagued by injuries in the past few years and is nearing the end of his career. He is still club captain, of course, but United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has clearly been giving plenty of thought to who will be Neville’s successor on the right side of the back four. Wes Brown has filled in well but is still arguably more comfortable at centre-back and so the search goes on.
Enter Rafael Da Silva. The 18-year-old Brazilian has shot onto the scene this season at Old Trafford, making himself an instant hit with the United fans. He was spotted by the club’s scouts while playing for Brazilian side Fluminense in a youth tournament in 2005 and continued to impress during the following campaigns.
Rafael and twin brother Fabio agreed to join United in February 2007 and then moved to Manchester in 2008 when they turned 18 and could finally sign professional contracts. And Rafael did not have to wait too long to make his Premier League debut, coming off the bench in United’s first league game of the season at home to Newcastle. The Red Devils only managed a 1-1 draw in a below-par display but Da Silva made an impact off the bench.
He then played well against Middlesbrough in the Carling Cup as United progressed to the next round with a 3-1 victory. The competition represents a great opportunity for some of the younger players in the squad to gain first team experience and Rafael grabbed his chance with both hands that night.
His performances in training convinced Ferguson to hand Da Silva his Champions League debut away to AaB Aalborg on September 30. And the Brazilian showed all the different assets of his game. He was strong in the tackle – picking up a yellow card for one over eager challenge – and confident in possession. When he supported the attack he displayed the ability to deliver good crosses and the pace to hurt opposition defences.
Sir Alex has spoken positively to the media about what he has seen so far from Da Silva. United are chasing trophies on all fronts and yet Ferguson has shown no fear in throwing the Brazilian into the action. If anything, the youngster’s stunning displays have given Sir Alex a selection headache.
After Da Silva’s Champions League debut, Sir Alex told the press: “We have great hopes for the lad. He has impressed us a lot. Some people might have been a bit surprised I picked him over Wes Brown but I feel the boy has something special.
“Rafael has no fear of playing and has great belief in himself. He is only 18 but he has started very well. He did well against Middlesbrough last week and he has progressed again. He is really positive and has a great chance in the future.”
The Red Devils boss also told reporters: “In football, when a guy turns the corner you cannot do anything about it. Rafael is a great talent and his performances are telling me I have another problem at right-back.”
Da Silva made his first Premier League start against West Brom at Old Trafford and Ferguson praised his performance. The United boss told the media: “He was excellent. The positions he took up and the penetration from deep positions was absolutely superb. It gives me a selection problem that is good for the club.”
Clearly, coming into such a star-studded line-up is never easy for a young player. Neville himself experienced the same situation when he joined a squad containing the likes of Eric Cantona, Steve Bruce and Peter Schmeichel. Now the big personalities are Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and Rio Ferdinand but Da Silva seems to be handling it all very well.
So far, Da Silva has two Premier League appearances under his belt – against Newcastle and West Brom – but many pundits expect him to collect plenty more before the end of the campaign as Ferguson looks to keep his squad fresh. With Patrice Evra offering a tremendous attacking threat from left-back, Rafael’s surging runs on the opposite side make United even more dangerous going forward when he is in the team.
He has already represented Brazil Under 17s and played in the FIFA U-17 World Cup. If he goes on to become a regular at United in the years ahead, he will be in the perfect place to earn a call-up to the senior squad. Like all Brazilians, Da Silva possesses the ball control and confidence to play total football and thrill spectators.
His future is extremely bright and, when Neville does call time on his career, Da Silva looks to be the perfect man to take over the reins at right-back on a permanent basis. He has the whole package and will only get better with experience. Ferguson can rest easy because Neville’s successor is already at Old Trafford and is set to be a star for United for many years to come.
