Rafael praises 'lovely' Fergie

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By James Dall   Last updated: 26th December 2008   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Rafael praises 'lovely' Fergie

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Manchester United teenager Rafael da Silva has praised manager Sir Alex Ferguson, labelling the Scot a 'lovely man'.

Brazilian defender Rafael has forced his way into Ferguson's first-team plans this season after a number of buccaneering displays at right-back.

Ferguson brought the 18-year-old to United from Fluminense in January, and Rafael has hailed the impact of his boss.

He said in The Sun: "Sir Alex Ferguson is like a father for me. Off the pitch, he is a great and lovely man.

"He helps me out a lot in Manchester. He knows perfectly how to deal with youngsters and when to bring them to the first team. He doesn't talk much but when he talks, he says only right things.

"He knows when he needs to be supportive and explain 'look, you can't do that now'. And he knows how to be really tough when the team is not playing well."