Summary
Cristiano Ronaldo became a football superstar during his first stint at Manchester United.
Ronaldo once made a phone call to convince two players to join him at Old Trafford.
The pair would go on to claim cult hero status at the club.
Very few football clubs have as big an allure as Manchester United. Even in their darkest days, the Red Devils still remain one of the biggest football clubs in world football, and the appeal of putting on their famous jersey and standing inside the Theatre of Dreams while being serenaded by the Stretford End will remain strong regardless of their standing in the Premier League table.
If that is the case now, it is easy to imagine how much more that applied when United were on top under Sir Alex Ferguson. Championships were easy to come by, and some of the best players in the world represented them. Roy Keane, Wayne Rooney, a certain Cristiano Ronaldo who would go on to become one of the greatest players of all time.
If they came calling in this era, it would be nearly impossible to turn them down. But for two stars, it wasn't just the club who tried to persuade them to join, it was Ronaldo himself, and they would end up having incredibly interesting careers in English football.
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Ronaldo Phone Call to Da Silva Twins Persuaded Them to Join United
Rafael and Fabio would become fan favourites at the club
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Speaking during an appearance on the UTD Podcast, one half of the beloved Da Silva twins, Rafael, revealed that he received a phone call from the legendary number seven as he attempted to convince him and his brother Fabio to join the club from Fluminense.
"He called my phone, and I'll never forget that. My phone had all the zeros and I was saying 'Who is this? I've never received a call like this.' I answered, and I knew him because I'd trained with him before. I ran to my bus saying: 'It's Ronaldo, it's Ronaldo! He's calling us to speak!'
"He just said: 'It's raining here, it's raining here in Manchester, like you know.' He said: 'I call to say to you guys: sign for Manchester United. I know you are going to like it,' et cetera. I could not believe it. It was amazing."
In the end, the pair would both agree to make the move from their native Brazil, with Rafael making his debut on 2008 and Fabio following suit in 2009.
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Rafael and Fabio's Manchester United Careers
The defenders found great success at Old Trafford
While both men had their fair share of appearances for the club, it was Rafael who really made a name for himself at Old Trafford, becoming one of the greatest right-backs in the club's history. That is despite his own admission that it was Fabio who was the more talented player.
With Gary Neville in decline and there being no real permanent options on the right-side of the defence, Rafael took that spot and made it his own, making 170 appearances for the club and winning three Premier League titles. As for Fabio, he had to compete with the likes of Patrice Evra at left-back, so opportunities were harder to come by. He would still go on o make 56 appearances for the club and also get his hands on two league titles in the process.
Rafael and Fabio da Silva's Manchester United Career Statistics
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After loan spell in the 2012-2013 season at QPR, the lesser-used 'Sunshine Twin' left the club on a free transfer to join Cardiff, before moving to Middlesbrough two seasons later. This would be followed by a stint in France with FC Nantes before returning to Brazil with Gremio, where he would see out his career, retiring in 2025.
As for his brother, he stayed at United until 2015 before being shockingly told by then-manager Louis van Gaal that he was no longer wanted at the club, and was shipped off to Lyon. After 139 appearances for the Ligue 1 giants, he would spend a season in Turkey before joining Botafogo in Brazil, also announcing his retirement in 2025.
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All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt - accurate as of 29/03/2025.