Former Manchester United scout and academy manager Les Kershaw says Rafael will become a ‘quality’ defender and claims he is maturing and learning all the time.
Rafael has secured a starting berth at right-back under Sir Alex Ferguson this season making it his own and Kershaw says United have a gem on their hands.
“You are going to see a very, very high quality defender for a long time,” Kershaw told Manchester Evening News.
“He’s a winner and a warrior and he is just going to get better and better. He still flies in like a mad man at times but not as much as he used to.
“He is learning and his aggression will always be there, but his timing is getting better. You won’t stop him going forward but he’s learning when to go and when not to.
“I thought the match in Madrid showed how much he is beginning to improve and learn from mistakes. It was a difficult first half for him in the Bernabeu.
“Cristiano Ronaldo, for instance, will go past anyone at any time, that is the nature of the beast. He is an expert at assessing where your weakness is and playing on it. He’s got the freedom to roam around and find those areas.
“But after an uncomfortable time, Rafael weighed up the situation and all the time he was learning what to do and in the end he put in a very disciplined performance. I thought that was a great example of his growing maturity.”
Source: Manchester Evening News
