'All the “no’s” I have received have fuelled my learning' - the philosophy, ability and dreams of Leeds United signing Raphinha

Leeds United’s new winger, signed for a sum of around £17m from French side Rennes, grew up a fan of Internacional de Porto Alegre who granted him a trial at the age of nine. They refused to take him, citing his diminutive stature.

“It was really frustrating, but I had to lift my head and try my luck elsewhere,” he told L’Equipe. “I was very frustrated, because deep in my heart, that’s where I wanted to play. But all the “no’s” that I have been given over the years have fuelled my learning. It motivated me even more to get to where I am.”

Instead, Raphinha began his footballing life with his beloved club’s bitter rivals, Grêmio.

At 15 he moved to Sao Paulo to join Audax, leaving behind his musician father and teacher mother in their modest home and before his teenage years were done, his agent – former Portugal and Barcelona midfielder Deco – had negotiated a move to Portuguese side Vitória SC.

On his right leg is a tattoo that declares his personal philosophy: ‘life is a journey, enjoy the path’ and Raphinha has taken big steps forward since his arrival in European football, with no small measure of success along the way.

Eighteen goals in 43 2017/18 appearances caught the eye of Sporting and a year later he was celebrating a pair of trophies, putting the Taça de Portugal and Taça da Liga on his C.V and qualifying for the Europa League with a third-place Primeira Liga finish.

Sporting took the decision to cash in on the winger’s talent and potential, selling him to Ligue 1 side Rennes for €21 million. Deco claimed the move was entirely at the behest of the club, a financial choice, but Raphinha saw it as a chance to keep moving forward along his path.

With the help of a translator who accompanied him to training and spent time with him daily off the pitch, he began to learn the French language.

It took him time to make progress on the pitch, however.

“He arrived at the end of August and it took him two or so months to adapt to the French championship,” L’Equipe writer Johan Rigaud told the YEP.

“He needed to improve when it came to finishing his actions, his first goal was a penalty in November when he team-mates let him take it so he could score.”