Background and career
Rafael Pereira da Silva (Brazilian Portuguese: [ʁafaˈɛw peˈɾejɾɐ dɐ ˈsiwvɐ]; born 9 July 1990), commonly known as simply 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.


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