Rafael On 'Lovely' Manchester United Boss Ferguson

Eighteen-year-old Rafael da Silva has broken into the Manchester United first team in recent weeks and boss Sir Alex Ferguson has told experienced right-backs Wes Brown and Gary Neville that they have a serious problem in the shape of the Brazilian starlet.

The wily Scot has shown in the past that he's not afraid to throw youngsters in at the deep end and that it's possible to 'win things with kids'.

Rafael has shed some light on Fergie's approach towards blooding new talent, painting a picture of a caring father figure at odds with the surly Scot known by the football public.

Speaking to The Sun, Rafael gushed: "Sir Alex Ferguson is like a father for me. Off the pitch, he is a great and lovely man.

"He knows perfectly how to deal with youngsters and when to bring them into 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’.

"However, he also knows how to be really tough when the team is not playing well."

If Fergie is the father figure, then fellow Portuguese-speaker Cristiano Ronaldo is playing the role of big brother as far as breakthrough star Rafael is concerned.

He continued: "Ronaldo is a sensational person: very humble and he jokes with us all the time. He's not like his superstar persona."

Asked how he's adapting to the rough and tumble of English football, Rafael enthused: "English football is the best right now.

"I’ve always enjoyed physical football, because I am fast, I like to run, I like to pass the ball quickly and I hate losing.

"Therefore, it was easy to adapt."

Greg Ptolomey, Goal.com