Manchester United former star reveals he had to leave Old Trafford over confidence crisis

Fabio is now concentrating on trying to get Cardiff City back into the Premier League

CARDIFF CITY defender Fabio has revealed he was forced to leave Manchester United after failing to break into Sir Alex Ferguson’s team on a regular basis.

 

Along with twin brother Rafael, Fabio moved to United in 2008 for Brazilian club Fluminese.

But while his brother slotted in at right-back and made 109 appearances in seven years before leaving for Lyon, left-back Fabio failed to make the same impression.

“It was very difficult, a very tough point in my career,” Fabio told Wales Online.

“I had been at Manchester United but I had been in and out, never really consistently playing games. 

“I could never play five or six games in a row and I don’t think I ever got my confidence really going like I do now.

“But it was leaving my brother that was the toughest because I had lived with him all my life.

 



The brothers lived together when they first moved to England, but Fabio had to follow his career

“I had a chance to stay at United but I wasn’t going to play so what was the point of staying there just to keep with my brother but not play football? It was tough but I needed to do it.

“We joined Fluminense when we were 11 and had to move from home and into a house for players. We were the youngest there, we had to protect each other and look out for each other and it made the relationship stronger even for twins.

“When we moved to United we were in a big house together and we stayed there. We did not spend much time apart at all, we always stuck together and we did everything together – everyone at United would laugh at us but they understood.”

 

Fabio is now settled into life in South Wales as Cardiff City attempt to haul themselves back into the Premier League, but it has not been an easy journey.

A loan spell at Queens Park Rangers for the 2012-13 season gave him the chance to play some first team football, but on his return he only made three more appearances for United.

His career at Old Trafford ended in unceremonious fashion, with a straight red card in an FA Cup tie with Swansea.

David Moyes allowed the Brazilian to leave later that month, but even after all his years at the club, some of the staff were unsure which Da Silva was leaving.

 

Fabio, despite having left his brother, is happy just to be playing regular games

Even United's msot famous man-manager struggled with twins

“[Sir Alex] used to get us mixed up, but everyone did,” Fabio added.

“We were there six years but still some of the staff couldn’t tell us apart. Sir Alex came in half time once and started giving me a row but it was meant for my brother. 

“Sir Alex would say: ‘Don’t sit together you two, move apart, you’re killing me!’.”