New England hero out to save Villans

Last summer was one of wildly contrasting fortunes for two former class-mates at John Henry Newman secondary school in Stevenage. Lewis Hamilton won back-to-back Formula One Grands Prix and fulfilled a “huge dream” by piloting the McLaren MP4/4 Ayrton Senna employed to wow fans and monopolise the sport during the late ‘80s and early ‘90s on an edition of Top Gear, the award-winning British television series. Ashley Young, by contrast, freefell into misery after being left out of England’s FIFA World Cup™ squad and forced to watch, helplessly, as Fabio Capello’s men flopped in South Africa.

But while some allow disappointment to act as an enervating disease, others use it as invigorating drug. Young falls into the latter category. With England drawing 0-0 at home in their return to action in August, the 25-year-old rose from the bench and provoked Hungarian headaches with his pace, movement and final ball. And after one superb cross he fizzed across the box criminally went begging, he finally did get an assist, tricking his way inside an opponent and playing an inch-perfect pass to Steven Gerrard, from which the Liverpool captain completed his brace and a 2-1 victory.

The cape may have been different three days later, but the crops weren’t. In the claret and sky blue of Aston Villa, Young radiated against West Ham United, playing a hand in Stewart Downing’s opener, forcing Robert Green into a fine save from an intuitive chip, and laying the second on a plate for Stiliyan Petrov en route to a 3-0 win.

I thought he was brilliant against Wales and he had another good game against Ghana. He looks at home on this stage now but, when you've got that ability, you can play on any stage. ~ Gary Cahill on Ashley Young.

 Those two performances proved the prelude for what has been Young’s best season for a club he joined from Watford in January 2007 and a country for whom he debuted at senior level in November of that year. Deployed in a free role, just off a solitary striker, with license to utilise the flanks, the jet-heeled No7 has contributed six goals and seven assists in 24 Premier League appearances. It is form that has infatuated Manchester United, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Bayern Munich, and Capello.

Young made his first start for England in a competitive match against Montenegro in October, capped a superb performance with the winner in a 2-1 success in Denmark in February, and absolutely made the most of his second opportunity to begin a UEFA EURO 2012 qualifier against Wales two weeks ago. Indeed, he won the penalty from which Frank Lampard stroked Englandahead, and then masterfully squared the ball for Darren Bent to seal a 2-0 away success.

"Ashley has been playing really, really well this season and being linked to top, top sides,” said Bent post-match. “It's because of the form he is showing, like against Wales, that all these clubs are after him. He was fantastic.”

Three days later he may have missed a sitter in a 1-1 draw at home to Ghana, but that momentary flub was drowned by waves of sorcery from Young. He had, arguably, beenEngland’s best player for the third match running. He had, uniquely, featured in their last five outings.

And Capello singled him out for tribute: “All the players played well, but Ashley Young is one of the most interesting players this season. His movement on the pitch is really good at all times. He is a danger when he receives the ball because technically, his vision on the pitch is excellent."

England team-mate Gary Cahill, who played alongside Young for the U-21s and briefly at Villa Park in 2007, has been mightily impressed with the progress he has made. "You can see how much Ashley has developed, even in the time from when I knew him at Villa,” said the Bolton Wanderers centre-back.

“He looks at home on this stage now but, when you've got that ability, you can play on any stage. He gets into little pockets of space and his awareness is outstanding. I thought he was brilliant against Wales and he had another good game against Ghana. His general awareness is good and he is such a threat. I sensed from Ashley's early days that he was going to be a special player. I saw him in the U-21s and he was fantastic. You could see then as a talent he was only going to get better, and that is what he has done."

Ashley Young is one of the most interesting players this season. He is a danger when he receives the ball because technically, his vision on the pitch is excellent. ~ Fabio Capello.

 Enough to become a fixture in Capello’s starting XI? "Who knows whether I've cemented a place? That is down to the manager,” said the modest, media-shy Young. “When I put on the shirt, I've got to put on a good performance. I think I did that against Wales and I felt I did that again against Ghana. We'll just have to wait and see what happens."

Inspiring Villa to Premier League survival would likely aid Young’s cause. With just seven rounds remaining, the seven-time English champions - only Liverpool, Manchester United (18 titles apiece), Arsenal (13) and Everton (9) have been crowned on more occasions - sit just two points clear of the relegation zone. And with Arsene Wenger's Gunners and Kenny Dalglish's Reds in their final two games, Gerard Houllier’s charges are desperate to stave off the threat of demotion before the heading into their penultimate encounter.

Young will attempt to accelerate Villa away from the trapdoor on Sunday, when they entertain a Newcastle United side to whom they lost 6-0 in the corresponding fixture and, historically, have a poor home record against, while Hamilton strives to avoid a fourth successive year – a near-alien statistic to him - without a podium finish in Malaysia. Will the emotions of John Henry Newman’s two most celebrated alumni be in equal uniform this time around?

Rafael: I always speak in the plural form

Despite Brazil’s reputation as a prolific exporter of footballing talent, cases of players leaving the country even before making their debuts in the professional game remain rare. Rarer still are those that move directly into the first-team squads at a club of Manchester United's stature.

Yet that was exactly the case with Brazilian twins Rafael and Fabio da Silva, who were plucked from the youth ranks of Rio de Janeiro outfit Fluminense. FIFA.com caught up with the gifted siblings to find out how things were going under the tutelage of Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford.

“We came here when we were very young, so it’s normal that we’ve only started to get more opportunities now,” said Rafael, quickly answering on behalf of himself and his brother. “It’s funny isn’t it? I’m used to always speaking in the plural form. Even though we do have different experiences here and there, we go through so much together that it can get confusing at times.”

 Those guys are monsters. But what can I do? I just need to keep playing my football for Manchester United and who knows, maybe I’ll be able to overtake at least one of those two.

Rafael on the quest to earn a place in the Brazil squad at the expense of Maicon or Daniel Alves

 Not content with being side by side from birth, Rafael and Fabio shot to prominence together as youngsters at Flu, were both picked for Brazil’s U-17 squad and both defended their country at the 2007 edition of the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro. Seeming to match each other stride for stride, the pair then earned a switch to the Red Devils and made the move to Englandin July 2008, though their rates of progress since have been somewhat different.  

With Rafael brought into the United squad with a view to succeeding veteran right-back Gary Neville, who has now hung up his boots, left-back Fabio has had found his path blocked by a man still at the peak of his powers: Patrice Evra. Indeed, it was less than two years ago that the France international was voted the best player in his position by his fellow professionals, when earning a spot in the 2009 edition of the FIFA/FIFPro World XI.  

“It’s been a slow process, but we knew that’s the way it’d be," said Rafael. "And Ferguson is great at that: he knows exactly how much time to give each player out on the pitch.”

The United No21 admits that having initially simply savoured every first-team appearance, he is now determined to play in as many big games as possible, such as tonight's UEFA Champions League quarter-final, first leg against Chelsea.

“Of course when a game like this comes around you still get butterflies in your stomach," he conceded. "That never changes and it can even do you good. But I’m full of confidence at the moment. I want to play in every game, and especially ones like Champions League matches and English derbies.”

Though Rafael has benefitted directly from the denouement of Neville’s glittering career on the right of United’s back four, winning a spot in the senior Brazil side is another matter. Barring his way are the last two players to claim the right-back spot in the FIFA/FIFPro World XI: Barcelona’s Daniel Alves (2009) and Inter Milan’s Maicon (2010).

“Everyone is always saying that to me, and the worst thing is it’s true!” Rafael revealed, laughing. “Those guys are monsters. But what can I do? I just need to keep playing my football for Manchester United and who knows, maybe I’ll be able to overtake at least one of those two.”

                   We want to win titles here in Manchester, become Olympic champions in London and play in the 2014 World Cup.

Fabio on his and Rafael's ambitions

 Even so, Rafael’s emergence at Old Trafford has not gone unnoticed by Mano Menezes, who handed the player a maiden call-up for the July 2010 friendly against USA, in what was the coach's first match at the Brazil reins. Fabio, by contrast, was struggling to get even a few minutes on the pitch for United at the time, a situation that triggered a serious rethink.

“I arrived here at the age of 17 and was happy just being in the squad at a great club like this, and to be second-choice behind a player like Evra,” said the left-sided member of the duo, who are now 20. “But when I saw my brother getting called up to A Seleção, despite having Daniel Alves and Maicon as competition, I thought: ‘I want to play’.

“I looked around me and I saw that I’d let myself get comfortable. I was getting older and was content to be in the same situation as when I’d arrived. That’s when I said to myself, 'Now’s the time. I’ve been here for the last three and a half years, just training with these class players, and now I want to play'. I’ve got a different mentality now and scoring my first goal (on 26 February against Wigan Athletic, followed two weeks later by another against Arsenal) helped me get that clear.”

And as the interview concluded, it was Fabio's turn to speak for both twins when outlining their shared objectives for the next phase of their careers: "We want to play in the important games, win titles here in Manchester, become Olympic champions in London (in 2012) and play in the 2014 World Cup.”

Capello: Scudetto race is still open

England manager Fabio Capello believes the Scudetto race is wide open with seven rounds remaining.

AC Milan beat Inter 3-0 in Saturday's derby to go three points clear of Napoli at the Serie A summit. Inter dropped to third, five points adrift of their arch-rivals.

"There are still important games left to play," Capello told Gazzetta dello Sport. "The race is still open and everything has yet to be decided. Milan have a difficult calendar ahead, while there are other teams like Napoli that are doing really well."

"The race is still open and everything has yet to be decided. Milan have a difficult calendar ahead." ~ Fabio Capello on the battle to win the Serie A.

 Milan travel to Tuscany to face Fiorentina this weekend and will face Roma at the Stadio Olimpico next month. I Rossoneri end the campaign at Udinese, who are chasing a top-four finish in Serie A.

Inter, meanwhile, are still alive in all three competitions this season and host Schalke in tonight's UEFA Champions League quarter-final, first leg.

Capello believes I Nerazzurri could pay for their efforts in Europe.

"We will see what Inter do in their next games," he said. "We know that when you play on all fronts, it becomes very hard for everyone to remain competitive."