Rafael Pereira da Silva: Biography, Facts and Career

Rafael Pereira da Silva (Brazilian Portuguese: [ʁafaˈew peˈɾejɾɐ dɐ ˈsiwvɐ]; born 9 July 1990), commonly known as Rafael or Rafael da Silva, is a Brazilian former professional footballer who last played for Campeonato Brasileiro Série A club Botafogo. He normally played as a right-back, but he has also been deployed as a midfielder. Rafael and his twin brother, Fabio, began their careers with Fluminense before joining Manchester United in January 2008. After seven years in England that included three Premier League titles, Rafael joined Lyon in August 2015 for a fee of up to £2.5 million. Rafael has two caps for Brazil, having made his debut in a 3–1 victory over Denmark on 26 May 2012. He has also played for Brazil at under-17 level and was part of the silver medal-winning under-23 side at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

== Early life == Rafael was born in Petrópolis, approximately one hour's drive away from Rio de Janeiro in Rio de Janeiro state, and began playing football from the age of five. He began his career with amateur side Boa Esperança, playing as a striker. He and his identical twin, Fabio, were then spotted by a representative of Fluminense playing five-a-side in their neighbourhood...

Quick facts about Rafael Pereira da Silva

• Full name: Rafael Pereira da Silva
• Born: 1990-07-09
• Nationality: Brazil
• Known as: Athlete
• Wikidata ID: Q189184

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Profile compiled from public Wikipedia and Wikidata data. Details can change over time.