Australian rising star joins Burton on loan
League One club Burton Albion announced the signing of Australian youth international Raphael Borges Rodrigues on a season-long loan from Premier League club Coventry City.
It's the second loan stint in as many seasons for the wide attacking midfielder, made 43 appearances across all competitions for Wigan Athletic in 25/26.
“It’s great to be able to bring Raphael into the building, we must thank Coventry City for allowing us to do so," Brewers manager Gary Bowyer said.
“He is a fast and direct wide player, capable of playing on either flank, so he brings versatility to the group. He also arrives with League One experience from his time at Wigan Athletic, we look forward to working with him.”
Sporting Director Richard Dorman said: “The opportunity to bring Raphael to the club arrived late in the window. We were impressed by his performances at this level last season, and his versatility provides additional depth to our squad. We look forward to seeing how he continues to develop and believe he will be a real asset over the course of the season.”
Born in the Netherlands, Borges Rodrigues moved to Australia at the age of five. He progressed through the Melbourne City academy before making his professional debut at the age of 16 in its A League fixture against Western United.
He made 16 appearances for City before making the switch to Macarthur FC in 2023. After netting six times in 33 appearances for the Bulls over the course of the 2023-2024 campaign, he moved to the England’s Motor City and signed for Coventry.
The 22 year-old has made nine appearances for the Sky Blues, providing an assist in his latest outing – the 7-1 home victory over Queens Park Rangers. That caught the eye of fellow Sky Bet League One side Wigan Athletic, who brought the Australian youth international in on loan last season.
He featured 37 times for the Tics in England’s third tier throughout 2025-2026, including both league meetings with the Brewers.
