One of the most frequent misunderstandings concerns Rodrigo Possebon.

Older fans of Manchester United may remember a player who possessed a great deal of talent but whose career was cut short as a result of a brutal challenge made during only his third senior appearance for the team.

Although it is partially accurate, it does not reveal the whole picture by any means.

When you search for his name on the internet, you will find a number of videos that, in retrospect, are like looking into a time capsule because they capture the spirit of the era in which they were made. These videos feature pixelated footage of a majestic midfielder orchestrating games to the accompaniment of deafening, distorted dance music that was most likely downloaded from LimeWire.

Then there is the video of his injury, which starts with a cautionary statement before it actually plays the clip itself.

Although the title incorrectly states that Possebon, who was 19 at the time, broke his leg, semantics are not particularly important in this context. The young man, who had an obvious gash to his right leg, was carried off the field while breathing oxygen through a mask to alleviate the discomfort caused by the pain.

Even though the terrible injury did not completely end his career, it did significantly shorten its length. Possebon was also led down a different path as a result of this event, one that led him to his current position as Director of Football at Ferroviária SAF at the young age of 33.

"When I was a kid, I was always interested in European football, specifically the Premier League, but I also followed the Champions League. Therefore, as soon as there was an opportunity to sign with Manchester United, I knew that is where I wanted to go "he reveals this information to the Manchester Evening News. "My goal ever since I was a kid was to be a professional athlete and play for the most prestigious club possible. Therefore, when I learned about the interest, I felt a surge of excitement wash over me."

Possebon was identified as a promising player by John Calvert-Toulmin, Ferguson's top scout based in Brazil, and was subsequently signed by Manchester United in 2008.

"I have a clear recollection of it. John followed me throughout my youth career in Brazil, when I was playing for Internacional in Porto Alegre. This was when we were both in our early 20s. He was a person who was very helpful to me in my career, both in my adaptation in the UK and the local culture, both in the technical aspects on the game, as well as with a lot of advice that I still use today in my role as a Director of Football. He helped me both in my adaptation in the UK and the local culture, as well as in the technical aspects on the game."

After receiving such glowing recommendations for Possebon's services, United agreed to pay £3 million for his services. Ferguson was well aware of the enormous potential the teenager possessed.

Possebon in pre-season action in 2008

He would be joining a team that was on the verge of winning the Premier League as well as the Champions League, and he would have the opportunity to learn from players like Paul Scholes, Michael Carrick, and Owen Hargreaves in the center of the midfield.

Possebon would join Anderson, another Brazilian midfielder, at Old Trafford if the transfer goes through. Having spent his entire life in the United States, however, the United new boy was noticeably more at ease when speaking the language.

"Both at the club and in the UK, I quickly adjusted to the new environment. I was already fluent in English, which helped to speed up the process of adapting, and the club provided me with all of the support that I required in order to become stable.

"To tell you the truth, I didn't find it all that challenging to adjust. When I was eight years old, I began playing competitive football, and because I grew up in the United States, I am accustomed to different environments, whether they be cultural, climatic, or customary in nature.

"The club had an exceptionally pleasant ambiance to it. In addition, because the citizens of Carrington were accustomed to visitors from other countries, they showed an abundance of warmth and hospitality toward those who came to play for them. I got along well with all of the players, but obviously due to language barriers, I was closer to Rafael, Fabio, Anderson, Nani, and Ronaldo. In particular, I had a good relationship with all of the players."

Possebon got off to a good start at United and immediately stood out in the reserves for his composure and inventiveness in possession. These are two qualities that are considered essential for any young midfielder who wants to break into the main squad.

Les Kershaw, manager of United Academy, had this to say about Rodrigo: "Rodrigo is a cracking lad and is getting better and better." "He is not participating in the English game at the present time. We play in a 4-4-2 formation, but Rodrigo would have no problem playing in the first team if we had a three-man midfield and he was the sitting player. He is that comfortable.

"But these are just minor tweaks that have been made. There will be no change to the player's overall quality. We are making efforts to help him. He is making significant progress."

To make progress, one must have some measure of good fortune, just like any other young child. Possebon didn't have to hang around for very long before he got it.

Possebon, along with fellow teenagers Craig Cathcart and Tom Cleverley, was flown out to South Africa for the first team's penultimate match against Kaizer Chiefs because United was suffering from an injury crisis at the beginning of their pre-season tour. Kaizer Chiefs was the team's penultimate opponent.

Possebon and Cathcart were both utilized from the beginning of the 4-0 victory; however, it was fellow midfielder Cleverley who garnered the majority of the attention after he scored the third goal of the match.

"Possebon will be allowed to remain because there is a chance that he will play for the first team, whereas Cleverley is still a young lad and has some time on his side. Every single one of the young players has a lot of potential "At the final whistle, Sir Alex Ferguson beamed with pride.

The two English youngsters would go on to play in the subsequent pre-season matches against Espanyol and Peterborough, but because United's injury problems were not yet resolved, Possebon would play a role off the bench in the club's final friendly match against Juventus.

In reference to the most recent group of young players, Ferguson stated, "We've got a group of young players who are doing very well and showing fantastic potential." "Rafael Da Silva, his brother Fabio, Rodrigo Possebon, Darron Gibson, Jonny Evans, and Danny Welbeck are the types of young players that we have always tried to have here in the past 15 years or so.

"They can take over for the younger boys in the team, who will eventually move into the section for players in the middle of their age range, and eventually they will be the older players. This is what you mean when you talk about managing change."

Possebon was rewarded with a spot on the bench for United's Charity Shield-winning victory over Portsmouth, which was won on penalties. In the course of a period of just eight months, he had already sampled the cutlery at Wembley.

Possebon, Nani, and Rafael are shown here in 2008 posing with the FA Community Shield

"It was an amazing experience. When I was young, I got to witness how those incredible players prepared for and approached a crucial game, and it was an experience that will stick with me forever."

The young Brazilian player was forced to sit on the bench once more for the first game of the new season due to a string of injuries, but he managed to improve on his previous performance by making his senior team debut in the second half of the game.

"I am completely able to recall everything. I participated in the preseason with the first team, and we played several games together during the preseason. It was the first game of the Premier League season for us, and as is customary, the stadium was packed to capacity with spectators.

"I came on in place of Giggs. I was very confident when I came on, and I believe I had a good game, as the manager gave me a positive word after the match," the substitute explained.

Another opportunity would present itself to Possebon one week later. This time, he was a substitute for United as they prevailed over Portsmouth 1-0 despite having fewer shots on goal. He'd even get his own chant.

"Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, Posse, Possebon," the floppy-haired midfielder serenaded the loyal traveling support as he replaced compatriot Anderson to help his side see out the match. Anderson had been

He would not see the field during United's defeat to Zenit in the Super Cup match, which took place in Monaco, and he would have to wait one more month before getting another opportunity with the team.

"It was my first time playing in the starting eleven for a match. I had reached a point where I was extremely proficient in both my physical and technical abilities. On that particular night, I was having a good game until I suffered that injury in the second half of the contest."

Possebon would make his mark in a three-man midfield, exactly as Kershaw had predicted would happen. When they traveled to Middlesbrough to compete in the League Cup, he was given the opportunity to start alongside Anderson and Giggs.

Everything was going swimmingly, and he was retaining possession of the ball very neatly in the middle of the field. But in the 66th minute, when both teams' scores were tied, a loose ball presented itself in the middle of the field.

The youngster from United tried to win it as quickly as possible, as did Emanuel Pogatetz with a tremendous amount of force. Possebon and a red card for the Boro captain both followed the ball into the air after it had been kicked into the air.

At the same time that the Austrian was being given his orders, the teenager was being given gas and air to make the pain more bearable. Even though his leg wasn't broken, he was going to have a hard time believing in himself.

After a two-footed challenge from Emanuel Pogatetz, Rodrigo Possebon had to be carried off the field on a stretcher.

"It appeared to be a very poor one. It was pretty awful that the kid had to make his first appearance with the team and then end up hurting himself like that "remarked Ferguson in his entirety.

"For the first ten minutes, nobody seemed to be affected by it. That is something that you do not want to see again, as I have seen it in a video. We can only keep our fingers crossed that the situation is not as dire as it appears to be."

To our great relief, it wouldn't be all that much longer before he would be able to resume his normal duties.

"I would like to take this opportunity to clarify that this injury only sidelined me for a total of thirty days from my normal activities; after that, I was already back to playing and training. This is something that I'm bringing up because a lot of people thought that I had broken my leg, "Possebon explains.

"Injuring yourself is never a good thing, especially in my case because I was in the middle of a winning streak, but I never imagined that the injury would put an end to my career.

"Before I sustained the injury, I was in fantastic shape both physically and technically; consequently, the time that I spent away from the activities with the squad made it more difficult for me to earn a spot on the team again. The Manchester United team at the time was consistently ranked as one of the very best in the world, which meant that earning a spot back in the squad was not an easy task."

After a month, Possebon was not only back in training but also back in the starting line-up for the game. In the victory over QPR in the fourth round, he lined up to take on the opposition, and he would do the same against Blackburn in the quarter-final.

In reference to the victory over QPR, he said, "I don't think the weather was exactly like Brazil, but I think the performance was like Brazil." "I have gotten what happened to me against Middlesbrough out of my head, so it was good to have a chance in the first team again," the player said. "It was good to have a chance in the first team again."

Possebon only participated in two more Premier League matches during that season, making his debut off the bench for the home match against Middlesbrough in December. His total number of appearances in Premier League squads was two. Despite the fact that he was never used as a substitute.

United would go on to win the title with relative ease, and the player would go on to make two more cameo appearances off the bench in the FA Cup, in addition to getting a runout on the final day of the season away at Hull. Both Pogatetz and Middlesbrough were demoted to the lower division.

Possebon was only named to the bench once during United's run to the Champions League final, which they lost to Barcelona in Rome; however, he did get a taste of cup final success that season by being named to the bench for the League Cup final win over Tottenham. Possebon only made the bench once during United's run to the Champions League final.

"Lots of happy memories, and Wembley Stadium always had such an incredible vibe. As a result of my participation in a number of matches for that competition, I was able to win the very important title. We prevailed in the match thanks to penalty kicks despite the fact that Tottenham had a formidable squad with players such as Luka Modric and Gareth Bale."

Possebon finished the season having made eight senior appearances for United, despite the fact that the season did not go according to his plans in terms of how well things would turn out.

He had still demonstrated some real signs of promise, but he was aware that consistent game time was absolutely necessary if he wanted to take his game to the next level.

Following discussions with his agent Jorge Mendes, Possebon decided to take a loan position with the Portuguese club Braga for the upcoming campaign. However, rather than boosting his self-assurance, the loan lowered it even further.

Possebon only made one appearance for Braga, which was in their qualifying match against Elfsborg for the Europa League. The coach, Domingos Paciência, took him out of the game after only 34 minutes had passed.

The manager of Braga was so angry that he swore they would never play Possebon again and tried to get out of their loan agreement with him after only two months. United did not recall him until the month of January, after which he was placed on indefinite suspension.

"The goal of the loan was to increase playing time so that the player could improve his chances of making the team at United, where it was difficult to earn a spot on the roster.

"When I arrived in Portugal, they were playing a different game model than what I was used to in England, and I was unable to get the sequence that I had been anticipating. At the time, I was accustomed to playing the game in England. In the end, gaining familiarity with another country and another league proved to be worthwhile experience."

Alongside players like Ben Foster and Federico Macheda, Rodrigo Possebon recently made his way back into reserve duty.

Due to the fact that the failed loan move did not benefit any of the parties involved, it was decided that the young midfielder would be best suited for playing in the reserve side until the end of the season, at which point his future will be reevaluated again.

It was under the tutelage of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer that he was able to rediscover his form in the center of the United midfield. As a result, he was able to play an important part in the team's success that year in the Reserve League.

It was going to be a trying and trying time. Possebon was overjoyed to be able to get back into football, but he quickly realized that he would not be playing for the first team like he had done when he first moved to Manchester.

"The highlight was being involved in the Champions League, having played in the League Cup, and having played games in the Premier League. Other highlights include having played for the first team in both the League Cup and the Premier League.

"In general, I think of the entirety of the time I spent working at the club as a high point in my career. Working with the greatest manager of all time and having the opportunity to learn from him, particularly in regard to my current role, was very enriching for me. Not to mention the great players that I had the opportunity to live with and play with during that time.

"I have no regrets. The opportunity to play for Manchester United was the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. More than that, I picked up a lot of knowledge and it provided me with an incredible amount of experience that I can now apply to my work as a Director of Football. My development as a director of football was greatly aided by the atmosphere that surrounds a club on the level of Manchester United, as well as the caliber of professionals, the level of pressure, and the requirements that come with living in the UK."

After that, Rodrigo Possebon played for the Brazilian powerhouse team Santos. 

Possebon would leave United at the end of the season in order to sign with Santos, which is located in his home country of Brazil. Before making the move to Italian club Vicenza, he played for them for two seasons totaling 30 games and scored one goal during that time.

After spending some time there, he moved on to play for the Serie B team Criciuma in Brazil before making the move to Mirassol, where he was never given an opportunity to compete at the senior level.

After that, he played for Juventude, a team in the fourth division of Brazilian soccer, before moving up to Serie B with Nautico. Then, when he was 25 years old, he went two years without being a member of a club while he considered his options for the future.

After spending time with URT in Brazil's lower division of football, Possebon eventually signed with Passo Fundo and, after that, Athletico Sports Club to play for them. With one final roll of the dice, he joined Vietnamese side Ho Chí Minh City, but before the season had even started, he was released after he struggled to recover from a back injury.

It might have signalled the end of his playing career, but Possebon was keen to put his wealth of experience to good use. Rather than seeing his setbacks as negatives, he used them as learning curves, something that has helped him in his new role as Director of Football for Ferroviária in Brazil.

"I played for clubs at all levels of the world of football. I played for Manchester United, which is the top of football. I played for Santos, one of the most traditional clubs in the history of football. There we won many important titles, such as the Copa Libertadores da América.

"I played in low level clubs in Brazil, I have played in Portugal, Italy, Bahrain, Vietnam. I made promotions in different divisions of Brazilian football. I had the experience of living and playing with players of all levels and nationalities.

"I worked for some clubs that had a lot of money and others that had a lot of financial difficulties, and with all of that, I can say that all of this experience was fundamental for me to become a Director of Football, in addition to the entire study I completed to perform in this role, of course. I worked for some clubs that had a lot of money and others that had a lot of financial difficulties.