Rafael - A Transformation

 

 

Rafael has been considered one of Manchester United's finest young players for many years now, following his arrival in 2008. With this said, he has not always lived up to the hype. He has often been criticised for the defensive side of his game, and up until recently it has been completely justified.

However, after a summer away with Brazil at the Olympics in London, Rafael has come back a different player. Going forward, he is as daring and exciting as ever, but at the back something has changed.Now, when a side launches a counter attack, Rafael is there waiting, when in the past he would be jogging back gingerly alongside midfielders in the middle of the park.

This has come as a bit of a shock to the majority, after a summer of speculation in which Nathaniel Clyne was heavily linked with the club. Whether this is Rafael showing us what he is capable of when injury-free, or just a fantastic run of form, it is certainly fantastic to watch as a fan. We have watched Rafael from when he was a teenage boy, who looked like someone who had won a trip to Carrington for the day, to now, arguably the best right-back in the Premier League.

There are, of course, suggestions that twin brother Fabio's move to Queens Park Rangers has only helped Rafael. There have been rumours in the past that Fabio has been a distraction, a bad influence even. The stories of Fabio leading Rafael and Anderson to McDonalds in the early hours of the morning are long gone, and Rafael's form has picked up immensely. Coincidence?

It's been an incredible journey for Rafael, and comparisons to United legend Gary Neville are coming thick and fast as a result. Whilst the two are incoherently different, they were/are fantastic right-backs. Does Rafael have the potential to be as influential as Gary Neville? Absolutely. He has time on his side, and is part of a group of young players that can emulate what the likes of Paul Scholes and Gary Neville did.

There is no doubt that Rafael has been one of United's best players so far this season, along with the likes of Jonny Evans and Robin van Persie. If he can keep this form up, who knows how good he can become? The potential is there for him to become one of the best right-backs in world football. With his recent praise of the club, it looks and sounds like he is happy here, and a move away from Manchester looks unlikely for the foreseeable.