Rafael Rips Up The Rule Book

Having breezed into United's first-team setup within just a few months of arriving in England, Rafael has been the sensation of the Reds' season so far.

The 18-year-old Brazilian defender has made 11 appearances in the first half of the season, looking utterly unflustered by his fast-track rise to prominence.

For Sir Alex Ferguson, who has fielded the youngster in pressure-cooker games like the Manchester derby, Rafael's performances have been a revelation.

"When we first watched him in training, we thought he and (twin brother) Fabio were outstanding talents," said the United manager. "But of course there’s always a cautious note to that, because you haven’t seen them in actual games.

"We’ve had to sit and wait until we’ve seen the real thing – playing in games. Rafa started against Peterborough in a friendly game, and he immediately took our breath away. He was absolutely magnificent and we knew then he had a real chance."

A foreign teenager making his debut season in English football is always going to be afforded the odd mistake, but Rafael's displays - in big games in particular - have convinced the United manager that he has a real star in the making on his hands.

"I think there’ve maybe been a couple of defining moments for us," he said. "We were playing the cautious game ourselves – maybe play him in one game, then leave him out – but then he came on against Arsenal and changed the complexion of the game on that side of the field.

"I thought he came on with an urgency to win the match for us. Every time the ball was on that side of the pitch, he was like a rat up a drainpipe. Everything seemed to happen at electric speed, and his tackling and urgency to get forward and play quickly… he was absolutely outstanding.

"It was marvellous to see a young kid come on in a big game like that and he took it by the scruff of the neck really. Then his performance against Manchester City at Eastlands, it goes a long way to convince you that the boy’s ready for it all.

"He’s coping with everything, his defensive work is improving all the time, he’s got a fantastic spring, and he’s just getting better all the time. Our gut feeling has been justified, really."

Rafael's sensational form, allied to a continuation of Gary Neville's niggling injuries of the last 18 months, has meant less first-team outings for the club captain, who had previously made the right-back spot his own with over a decade of unerring service.

"What we’re doing with Gary is not rushing him in every game," said the manager. "He’s 34 in February, he’s been out for a year and a half, so measuring his comeback, as we are doing, is definitely benefiting him. Last week (against Blackburn), he was outstanding.

"Gary was a young player here also, and he knows exactly what happens when a player like Rafa breaks into the club. When they’ve got outstanding form and ability like that, there’s not a lot you can do about it.

"It’s a great aspect of the game that a young boy can turn the corner and take someone’s place, and at the moment the performances of Rafa have been keeping Gary out, for the simple reason the boy’s been outstanding."