Fabio (footballer, born 1990) facts for kids
Fabio playing for Cardiff City in 2014
|
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 9 July 1990 | ||
| Place of birth | Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | ||
| Height | 1.72 m | ||
| Playing position | Full-back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2005–2008 | Fluminense | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2008–2014 | Manchester United | 22 | (1) |
| 2012–2013 | → Queens Park Rangers (loan) | 21 | (0) |
| 2014–2016 | Cardiff City | 65 | (1) |
| 2016–2018 | Middlesbrough | 48 | (1) |
| 2018–2022 | Nantes | 85 | (0) |
| 2023–2024 | Grêmio | 26 | (0) |
| National team | |||
| 2007 | Brazil U17 | 13 | (10) |
| 2011 | Brazil | 2 | (0) |
|
|||
Fabio Pereira da Silva (born 9 July 1990), known simply as Fabio, is a Brazilian former professional footballer. He played as a full-back, which is a defensive position on the side of the field. He last played for the Brazilian club Grêmio.
Fabio and his twin brother Rafael started their football journeys with Fluminense in Brazil. They were then signed by the English club Manchester United in 2007. Unlike his brother, Fabio found it harder to secure a regular spot in Manchester United's main team. After a loan period with Queens Park Rangers in 2012–13, he moved permanently to Cardiff City in 2014.
Fabio played for the Brazil national team twice. Both appearances were in 2011. In the same year, he played for Manchester United in the UEFA Champions League Final and helped his team win the Premier League title.
Contents
Early Life and Start in Football
Fabio was born in Petrópolis, a city about an hour's drive from Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. He began playing football when he was five years old. He and his identical twin brother, Rafael, often played five-a-side games in their city.
A scout from Fluminense noticed their talent. This gave them the chance to play for the club. They moved to the club's training center when they were just 11 years old.
Fabio's Club Career
Starting at Fluminense
Fabio first played as a defensive midfielder for his local club, Boa Esperança. But when he joined Fluminense, he changed to playing as a left back. In 2005, Fabio played for Fluminense in the Nike Premier Cup in Hong Kong.
There, a scout from Manchester United, Les Kershaw, saw him play. He thought Fabio and Rafael were very quick and talented. Kershaw called Manchester United's manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, and suggested the club sign the twins. Manchester United then asked Fluminense for permission for the twins to train with them in 2005.
Another scout, claiming to be from Arsenal, also approached the twins. He wanted them to train with Arsenal without Fluminense's permission. However, their mother reminded them to be loyal to Fluminense, who had supported them since they were 11. So, they chose to sign with Manchester United instead of Arsenal. The clubs agreed on a deal in February 2007. The twins moved to Manchester in January 2008, even though they hadn't played for Fluminense's main team yet.
Playing for Manchester United
Fabio signed with Manchester United in 2007. However, he could not officially play for the club until his 18th birthday on 9 July 2008. His first game for Manchester United was a friendly match on 4 August 2008. He came on as a substitute in a 2–0 win against Peterborough United. People praised his performance in that game.
He later played in eight matches for the club's reserve team, scoring five goals. This included three goals in one game against Rochdale. Fabio was also a substitute for a Premier League match in August 2008. But a shoulder injury, which needed surgery, delayed his official debut for the first team.
Fabio finally made his first official appearance on 24 January 2009. It was in an FA Cup match against Tottenham Hotspur. He had to leave the game early due to a calf injury. His Premier League debut was on 16 August 2009, playing as a right-back against Birmingham City.
On 21 October, Fabio played his first UEFA Champions League game. Manchester United won 1–0 against CSKA Moscow. Sir Alex Ferguson was happy with Fabio's performance. On 1 April 2010, Fabio signed a new contract with Manchester United until June 2014.
Fabio scored his first goal for United on 26 February 2011. It was in a 4–0 win against Wigan Athletic. Two weeks later, he scored again in an FA Cup match against Arsenal. On 28 May 2011, Fabio started in the UEFA Champions League Final against Barcelona. United lost the match 3–1.
In April 2012, Sir Alex Ferguson announced that Fabio would go on loan for the 2012–13 season. This was to help him get more experience playing in the first team.
Loan to Queens Park Rangers
On 2 July 2012, Fabio joined Queens Park Rangers on loan for the 2012–13 season. He played his first game for them on 18 August against Swansea City. Fabio scored his first goal for QPR in an FA Cup match against Milton Keynes Dons.
Moving to Cardiff City
After returning to Manchester United for the 2013–14 season, Fabio played only three times. His last game was an FA Cup match against Swansea City in January 2014. Fabio was sent off with a red card shortly after coming on as a substitute. This meant Manchester United played with ten men and lost the game.
Later that month, Fabio moved to Cardiff City. The transfer was completed on 29 January 2014. He quickly became a regular player for Cardiff. However, Cardiff was relegated from the Premier League at the end of the season. This meant they would play in the Championship next season.
Fabio played regularly at the start of the 2014–15 season. Cardiff had a tough season, finishing 11th in the Championship. During the 2015–16 season, Fabio became a favorite among Cardiff fans. He scored his first goal in two years, a powerful shot from far away against Middlesbrough.
Time at Middlesbrough
On 12 August 2016, Fabio joined Middlesbrough, a team that had just been promoted to the Premier League. He signed a two-year contract. He scored his first goal for Middlesbrough in an EFL Cup match against Scunthorpe United on 22 August 2017.
Playing for Nantes
On 18 July 2018, Fabio moved to Ligue 1 side Nantes in France. He signed a three-year contract with the club.
International Career
Brazil Under-17 Team
Fabio played for the Brazilian national under-17 team. He was the captain of the Brazil team for the 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup. In that tournament, he scored two goals, making him one of the team's top scorers. Even though he was a defender, he scored a total of 10 goals in his 13 games for the Under-17 team.
Brazil Senior Squad
In September 2011, Fabio was playing very well for Manchester United. Because of this, he was chosen to join the Brazil senior squad. He was part of the team for matches against Costa Rica and Mexico in October 2011.
Fabio's Playing Style
Fabio and his brother Rafael were known for their energetic way of playing. Their former manager at Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson, called Fabio an "excellent footballer." Les Kershaw, the scout who discovered them, said they were like "two little whippets." He praised how they would get up quickly after being tackled and were very fast.
Some people even suggested that Fabio, along with Rafael, could play in midfield instead of defense. This was because of their strong attacking skills and instincts.
Personal Life
Fabio's twin brother, Rafael, is also a professional footballer. Both twins joined Manchester United at the same time in 2008. Their older brother, Luiz Henrique Pereira da Silva, also played football professionally.
Sir Alex Ferguson used to tell the twins apart by Fabio's wedding ring. Fabio was married at 18 to Barbara, who moved to England with him. Even though Fabio and Rafael started their careers at Fluminense, they actually support Fluminense's local rivals, Botafogo.
Honours
Manchester United
- Premier League: 2010–11
- FA Community Shield: 2010
- UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2010–11
Nantes
- Coupe de France: 2021–22
Grêmio
- Campeonato Gaúcho: 2023, 2024
- Recopa Gaúcha: 2023
Brazil U17
- South American U-17 Championship: 2007
See also
In Spanish: Fábio da Silva para niños
