Born: 17/05/1993
• Rafa Silva started out at the same club as Ricardo Carvalho, Maniche, Deco and Mantorras – Alverca. Raised in Barreiro, on the south bank of the River Tagus, he spent seven years at the club before switching to Feirense.
• His coach at Feirense, Quim Machado, remains amazed that Benfica, Porto and Sporting CP never spotted Rafa’s “natural talent”, noting: “I’m not surprised at how well he has done, but what I do find strange is the fact that none of the big three got to him before Braga.”
• Sporting may have come to regret letting him go as a child. After trials at the club’s academy, the player was sent away with club official…