Mature Rafael Aims To Keep Improving

Rafael da Silva was voted our best player in September on the official site and was also given the goal of the month award for his finish at Anfield.

Sir Alex Ferguson has praised our young right back for his performance against Stoke on Saturday.

“Rafael was our best player on Saturday,” he said. “He’s maturing and learning all the time and he’s blessed with great enthusiasm to play. He has good skill, speed, determination… he has all the qualities and maturity brings all those qualities together. Bit by bit he’s done that in the last two or three years. Last year and the year before he was impulsive, over-commiting himself. He knows that and we’ve been over it a few times. But he’s maturing fantastically.”

This is an assessment that Rafael agrees with, saying: “I think mature is the right word. I’ve learnt to hold a little bit. I always want to know more and read the game more to find out what a player is going to do next. I’m definitely more mature. The way I play for United has changed a bit and maybe that’s why fans are looking at me differently. I’m playing more maturely and I’m scoring goals as well. I hope I can keep improving.”