Neville 2.0: With More Samba

By: Martha | January 20th, 2008

Silva boyz Gary and Phil Neville made their debuts for Manchester United two years apart in the early 1990s, when both were still well within their teens. They’re both old (Read: 30+.) now, and Phil left the club for Everton three years ago. So, now that the story of the Neville brothers has grown old, it’s time to reboot. I know, let’s make them twins this time! Oh, and they’ll be Brazilian! Ladies and gentlemen, meet Fabio and Rafael Silva.

The Silva twins are 17, and are set to arrive in Manchester on Monday from Fluminense, in a £5.2 million deal for the both of them (I wonder if they fight about which one of them would have cost more, had they been sold separately). United first became aware of the brothers after seen them at a tournament in Hong Kong way back in 2005 and, according to the London Times, the deal for them has been in the works virtually since that day, a two-and-a-half year period over which the Silvas visited Manchester — a city in now they claim to be very comfortable — a total of eight times. A pre-contract agreement was actually signed the day they turned 16, and the twins weren’t due to make the move until the summer of 2008, but since their paperwork went through early, they’re going to England immediately.

Both Fabio and Rafael are wingbacks, and they shone for Brazil during last summer’s U-17 World Cup. Rafael, in particular, was impressive: He captained the team, and managed to lead them in scoring despite, you know, being a back. (I realize by even bringing this up that I’m asking for the answers to be “Yes, moron,” but did even Roberto Carlos ever lead anyone in scoring?)

Obviously United have a lot of talent in the youth ranks, so the Silvas aren’t going to make Neville-style infant debuts any time soon, but bringing them on board certainly isn’t going to hurt and, with their high-level experience, Rafael and Fabio are probably as prepared as any 17-year-olds can be to make this big of a move.