Rafael's Team-mate Tales

In our exclusive interview on team-mates, United right-back Rafael talks about playing poker with Darren Fletcher and socialising as a squad...

Who is your best friend at the club?
I have some big friends here. I would always say Antonio [Valencia] is the closest one but Anderson and Fletch are big friends of mine too. I have a lot of friends in the squad.

Do you have a room-mate at the hotels?
No, we do not share rooms together but when we're sitting in the lounge at the hotels, we often have conversations. It's always nice to do that with your team-mates.

Do you discuss tactics and other footballing matters away from the club?
When we are away, we do some other stuff, but of course we often talk about football. Sometimes, I go to Fletch's house and we play poker and talk about football all night! But of course we do talk about other things as well.

Do you watch any other Premier League games together?
Yes, we do that when we are away. When we're at home, we often play video games but we stop to watch some matches together.

Do you socialise with the other players?
Yes, we had dinner together in Manchester last week. It is always nice when everyone is together. It allows us to talk properly as a team.

Was it Wayne Rooney's idea to get everybody together as a squad?
Yes, I think it was Wayne’s idea. He spoke to everyone about it. Now, he’s the captain here, he's doing everything like that.

Credit: manutd.com