Manchester United defender Rafael surprised by his progress at Old Trafford
Friday 14 December 2012 09:39, UK
Manchester United defender Rafael says he has been surprised by the number of appearances he has made for the Old Trafford club this season.
Targets
He added: "I've waited a long time for this - getting to this point hasn't happened overnight.
"I've been at this club for five years and that's a long time.
"At first, the goal was to just play one game for Manchester United. Then, when you achieve that, you set other targets.
"Now I want to play every game and become a regular in the team."
Rafael feels becoming a father has helped him progress on the pitch and also believes he has benefited from his twin brother Fabio leaving Old Trafford for QPR on a season-long loan.
"I think splitting from Fabio has been a good experience," said Rafael.
"At first I was sad, but I've come to see that it's made me grow up a lot. I've had to change and be more responsible."
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