Summary
The rivalry that exists between Manchester United and Liverpool can become personal between players.
Steven Gerrard was the heart and soul of the Liverpool team and led the hatred against the Red Devils.
One pair of United players revealed just how much the English midfielder didn't like them - and that the feeling was mutual.
In the Sir Alex Ferguson era of Manchester United, there were certain qualities that you needed, aside from technical ability, in order to thrive at Old Trafford. A work ethic and dedication to the club like nothing else mattered in your life was towards the top of that list. Tenacity to compete for everything, both in games and throughout the season, was a must-have. And, if you could throw your opponents off their own game, that would usually come in handy too.
One pair who had all of this and would end up earning some sort of cult hero status at the Theatre of Dreams were Brazilian duo Rafael and Fabio da Silva. The identical twins arrived from Fluminense together in 2008 and managed to integrate themselves within the United first team, making a combined 226 appearances for the club. There was even an urban myth that Ferguson would change them around at half-time in order to keep his team fresh.
While the brothers were beloved by the Old Trafford faithful, they were not shy in making themselves the enemy of their rivals. One major name that they managed to irritate was Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, as they revealed years after departing English football.
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Gerrard's Hate for Da Silva Twins Revealed
Wayne Rooney told the pair after returning from international duty
Speaking to the Athletic in 2021, the twins spoke about how they were able to unintentionally rile up some of their opponents. Rafael then gave a specific example of how Wane Rooney once returned to Carrington following an international break and told them just how much Gerrard hated the pair of them:
"Wayne Rooney told us that Steven Gerrard hated us. He said that Gerrard told him on international duty, ‘Those twins, they are p*****!’.
"We never did anything to him but wear a different shade of red. I guess that’s all it takes. And to be honest, I understood what he meant. The feeling was mutual."
Rafael's words highlight just how much hatred there is between United and Liverpool, with the rivalry still as intense as ever even when one of the two sides is not at their best, which was the case throughout the Da Silva twins' time in English football. This isn't the only high-profile name the former right-back had an issue with either, as the 34-year-old was also not a fan of former teammate Carlos Tevez.
"I’m not a fan of Tevez, not as a player. I’ve already had a fight with him. The game against City, he’d left United. I’ve never been a fan of his because Tevez liked to rubbish new players. I’m not ashamed to say, I don’t like him," the ex-defender revealed.
"He treated the youngsters badly at United. He was always very respectful, but he really picked on the youngsters there, so I never liked him."
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Why the Da Silva Twins Were Forced Out of United
Rafael in particular was left in the dark prior to his departure
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Having come through the famous Manchester United academy, the duo dubbed 'the Sunshine Kids' became popular with the Old Trafford fans and were the type of players that one would expect to always have some sort of role in the squad. Despite assertions that it was Fabio who was the strongest of the pair, he received less game time as a result of competing with stalwart Patrice Evra at left-back. This would see him leave the club in 2015 on a free transfer, after a failed loan spell at QPR.
For Rafael though, he became the first-choice right-back at the club, taking advantage of the injuries to players like Gary Neville, Wes Brown, and John O'Shea to claim the vacant spot. However, he was unceremoniously shown the door when Louis van Gaal arrived, and still has no idea why the Dutchman wanted him out of the club.
"When Van Gaal arrived, he just said: ‘OK, you leave’," the ex-full-back detailed. "He came in with an idea of the players he wanted, and didn’t want, and set about making those changes instantly.
"He never explained it to me. But I’ve heard a few explanations from other people and, even before he arrived, everyone was telling me, ‘He hates Brazilians’."
The pair would end up going on separate journeys across Europe and Brazil before both announcing their retirement at the beginning of 2025 after spells at Gremio and Botafogo. They finished their careers having both been capped by the national team on more than one occasion.
Rafael and Fabio da Silva's Manchester Career Statistics
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All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt - accurate as of 18/03/2025.