A respected midfielder in his homeland of Brazil, Silva rose to prominence at the World Cup in 2002 with his classy midfield displays. He was acclaimed as one of the players of the tournament and it earned him a move from Atlético Mineiro to Premier League giants Arsenal where he also became a massive success.
His first season at the club ended with an FA Cup winner’s medal as Arsenal beat Southampton 1–0 Millennium Stadium. However, his second season was one of the most famous in English football history as he helped the Gunners go the whole season unbeaten and claim the Premier League title. Silva was the unsung hero of Arsenal’s ‘Invincibles’.
He left London in 2008 to join Panathinaikos, while he would return home with Gremio and again Atlético Mineiro. He finished up with a superb 93 Selecao caps.
1952: Graham Yallop, the former Victoria and Australia Test captain (63)
1982: Jermain Defoe, former Tottenham and England striker, now at Sunderland (33)
1984: Salman Butt, ex-Pakistan cricket captain who was jailed on spot-fixing charges (31)
1988: Diego Costa, Chelsea Brazilian-born Spain international striker (27)
