He might be a candidate for the Ballon d’Or, but Barcelona superstar Raphinha still has a clear affinity with Leeds United – the club that made him the player he is, today.
Right now, Raphinha is one of the best left-wingers in world football. Thierry Henry recently said he was leading the Ballon d’Or race while Cafu has said that Raphinha should already have won the award.
Most Leeds fans will agree that Raphinha is probably the club’s best since the turn of the millennium. He is thriving at Barcelona, often captaining the side and producing a massive 59 goals and assists last term.
Raphinha might be forgiven for moving on from Leeds and not remembering where he came from. Victor Orta signed a winger that was a solid top-tier player, and Marcelo Bielsa gave him the freedom to shine.
Raphinha ahead of Barcelona's Champions League clash against Inter Milan.
Photo by Manuel Queimadelos/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images
New Leeds United mural appears yards away from Elland Road
Wesley Croft is a path that many Leeds fans take on matchday when they make their way to Elland Road and now, during their journey, they will get to experience a new mural of the club’s iconic players.
The LUFC Trust posted an image on Instagram this week that shows a cartoon-style collage of heroic figures to have worn the Leeds shirt. From David Batty, to Gaetano Berardi and of course, Raphinha.
Also included in the mural is Liam Cooper with the 2019-20 Championship trophy, wind-up merchant Mateusz Klich, and Don Revie legends Billy Bremner and Jack Charlton, alongside a celebrating Raphinha.
MORE LEEDS UNITED STORIES
Raphinha shows Leeds United affection with mural reaction
It would be easy for Raphinha to simply ignore any Leeds United-linked item and focus solely on what is in front of him at The Nou Camp. But, Raphinha knows how important Leeds was to his career.
He knows what Leeds did for him and such is the passion of the club, players that play for Leeds often become supporters. That seems to be the case for Raphinha, who reacted to the mural on Instagram.
Screenshot of Raphinha responding to a post from the LUFC Trust, after a new mural emerged.
Raphinha’s time at Leeds may be over, but he will never be forgotten among the Leeds support for his two years at the club. Clearly, Raphinha will never forget his time in Yorkshire, either.