For other people named Gilberto, see Gilberto. Gilberto is the romance version of the Latinized form of Gilbert, used in Italian, Portuguese and Spanish languages

Gilberto Silva
Personal information
Full name	Gilberto Aparecido da Silva
Date of birth	October 7, 1976 (1976-10-07) (age 31)
Place of birth	Lagoa da Prata, Brazil
Height	1. Events 3761 BC - The epoch (origin of the modern Hebrew calendar ( Proleptic Julian calendar) Year 1976 ( MCMLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Lagoa da Prata is a Brazilian city in the state of Minas Gerais. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld 91 m (6 ft 3 in)[1]
Playing position	Defensive midfielder
Club information
Current club	Arsenal
Number	19
Youth clubs
1988–1993	América (MG)
Senior clubs1
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
1997–2000 2000–2002 2002–	América (MG) Atlético Mineiro Arsenal	020 0(1) 062 0(4) 170 (17)
National team2
2001–	Brazil	059 0(3)
1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 13:31, 19 April 2008 (UTC). For the Australian Rules position see Midfielder (Australian Rules. América Futebol Clube, or América (or América Mineiro) as they are usually called is a traditional Brazilian football team from Belo Horizonte América Futebol Clube, or América (or América Mineiro) as they are usually called is a traditional Brazilian football team from Belo Horizonte Clube Atlético Mineiro, usually known as Atlético, is a football club based in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. The Brazil national football team is the national team of Brazil and is managed by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF that represents Brazil in international 2 National team caps and goals correct as of 16:50, 22 November 2007 (UTC). Events 498 - Kofi Aseidu- After the death of Anastasius II, Symmachus is elected Pope in the Lateran Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. * Appearances (Goals)

Gilberto Aparecido da Silva (born October 7, 1976 in Lagoa da Prata, Minas Gerais, Brazil), commonly known as Gilberto Silva (IPA: [ʒɪwbextu siwvɐ]), is a Brazilian footballer. Events 3761 BC - The epoch (origin of the modern Hebrew calendar ( Proleptic Julian calendar) Year 1976 ( MCMLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Lagoa da Prata is a Brazilian city in the state of Minas Gerais. Minas Gerais is one of the 26 states of Brazil, the second most populous and fourth largest by area in the federation |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered He has played most of his club football for the English club Arsenal, as a defensive midfielder. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland For the Australian Rules position see Midfielder (Australian Rules.

Gilberto was raised in a poor family and as a child he balanced playing football with various labour jobs. ^[2] He began his football career in 1997 with América Mineiro, where good form earned him a move to Atlético Mineiro in 2000. América Futebol Clube, or América (or América Mineiro) as they are usually called is a traditional Brazilian football team from Belo Horizonte Clube Atlético Mineiro, usually known as Atlético, is a football club based in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. He became a star player for Atlético, playing for three years in the Brazilian Campeonato Brasileiro Série A. The Brazilian football league system is a series of interconnected leagues for football clubs in Brazil. The Série A (informally called Brasileirão) is the highest division of Brazilian football. He came to particular prominence when he helped the Brazilian national team win the 2002 FIFA World Cup, playing in all seven of Brazil's matches. The Brazil national football team is the national team of Brazil and is managed by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF that represents Brazil in international The 2002 FIFA World Cup, the 17th staging of the World Cup, was held in South Korea and Japan from May 31 to June 30. ^[3]

In August 2002, for a fee of £4. 5 million,^[4] he joined Arsenal with whom he won the 2004 FA Premier League, and two FA Cup trophies. The Premier League, colloquially referred to as the Premiership, is an English professional league for football clubs The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after In his first five seasons with the club he played 208 games and scored 23 goals. On 19 August 2006 he scored Arsenal's first competitive goal at the newly built Emirates Stadium. Events 43 BC - Octavian, later known as Augustus compels the Roman Senate to elect him Consul. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The Emirates Stadium is a football stadium located on Ashburton Grove in Holloway, North London, and the home of Arsenal Football Club since ^[5] He was made vice-captain of Arsenal in 2006^[6] and is contracted to the club until June 2009. ^[7] In 2007 he was selected as Brazil captain for the Copa América tournament, which Brazil went on to win. The Copa América ( Spanish and Portuguese for "America Cup" is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by ^[8]

Biography

Early life

As a child Gilberto lived in the city of Lagoa da Prata with his father (a blacksmith), his mother (a housewife) and three sisters. blacksmith is a person who creates objects from Iron or Steel by Forging the Metal; i Homemaker is a mainly American term which may refer either to the person within a family who is primarily concerned with the management of the household whether ^[2] His family lived in a small house which his father built, in the district of Usina Luciânia. Despite financial hardship, causing his sisters and him to share a single room, he had a relatively carefree childhood: he describes it as "[a time when] I had no responsibility in my life, I played football on the street with cousins and friends, and we never had any contact with drugs or violence". ^[9] In 1988 (aged 12), he got the chance to break out of poverty by playing football, joining América Mineiro as a youth player. It was during these years at América Mineiro that Gilberto was taught defensive discipline by playing as a central defender. In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring When not playing football, Gilberto was taught furniture-making skills by his father, which he would come to use in the following years. In 1991, Gilberto's father retired leaving the 15-year-old to provide financially for his whole family, a task made more difficult by his mother's ill-health. ^[10]

Because of the low wage at América Mineiro, he was forced to quit football to take various jobs as a labourer, a carpenter, and a worker in a sweet factory. A carpenter (builder is a skilled craftsman who performs carpentry - a wide range of Woodworking that includes constructing buildings, It looked as if this would be the end of his childhood dream. ^[12] As a factory-worker Gilberto earned the equivalent of about £50 a month by 2002 rates. ^[13][14] After three years of working in a factory, the 18-year-old decided to try his luck at football again by enrolling in the local club's youth academy. His time in the academy did not last long due to the worsening situation at home as a result of his mother's ill health; he returned to work in the sweet factory with little hope of resurrecting his football career.

Early career

In 1997, Gilberto's friends tried to convince him to give football another try, which led to him re-signing for América Mineiro on June 1, 1997, this time as a full-time professional. Events 193 - Roman Emperor Didius Julianus is Assassinated 987 - Hugh Capet is elected Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar Aged 21, Gilberto played as a central defender for the first team. During his first season for América Mineiro he was regarded as a key player by the club, despite being criticised by some fans for inconsistency. ^[13] He helped them win the Série B division, and consequently gain promotion to Série A. Teams currently playing Série B See also Campeonato Brasileiro Série B 2008 Champions of Série B Titles by Team Titles The Série A (informally called Brasileirão) is the highest division of Brazilian football.

During Gilberto's third season at América Mineiro, with the team back to Série B after relegation in Série A in 1999, he played 20 games and scored one goal, helping the club to finish runners-up in the league. In 2000, aged 24, he joined rival club Atlético Mineiro. In his first season for the club, he fractured his right tibia and, as a result, missed a number of games. The tibia, shinbone, or shankbone is the larger and stronger of the two Bones in the Leg below the Knee in vertebrates and connects ^[11] In his second season, he was moved by the manager Carlos Alberto Parreira from central defence to a defensive midfield role where he flourished. Carlos Alberto Gomes Parreira (born February 27, 1943, in Rio de Janeiro) is a Brazilian football manager. He scored three goals in the 2001 season and became a revelation in Brazilian club football. ^[15]

In October 2001, his good performances from that year earned Gilberto a call-up to the Brazilian national team ("A Seleção") by Luiz Felipe Scolari for the 2002 World Cup qualification games. Luiz Felipe Scolari, ComIH (born November 9, 1948 in Passo Fundo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil) also known as Felipão ^[16] He made his international debut against Chile on October 7, coming on as a substitute. The Chilean national football team represents Chile in all major international football competitions Events 3761 BC - The epoch (origin of the modern Hebrew calendar ( Proleptic Julian calendar) On November 7, he made his debut in the starting line-up of the national team against Bolivia. Events 1492 - The Ensisheim Meteorite the oldest Meteorite with a known date of impact strikes the Earth around noon in a Wheat The Bolivia national football team is the national team of Bolivia and is controlled by the Federación Boliviana de Fútbol. His international career continued to flourish in early 2002: he scored twice against Bolivia and once against Iceland. In 2002, he was a surprise inclusion in the Brazil squad for the 2002 FIFA World Cup in South Korea and Japan. Below are the squads for the 2002 FIFA World Cup tournament in South Korea and Japan. The 2002 FIFA World Cup, the 17th staging of the World Cup, was held in South Korea and Japan from May 31 to June 30. South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea and often referred to as Korea ( Korean: 대한민국 tɛː For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. He was expected to play a bit part in the tournament. However, defensive midfielder and Brazilian team captain Emerson was injured in training just before the first World Cup game. For the player known as Emerson currently playing for APOEL FC who had played for Middlesbrough please see Emerson Moisés Costa. ^[17] In light of the setback, coach Scolari called upon Gilberto to fill the gap which Emerson left. Gilberto ended up playing in every minute of every match of the tournament, which Brazil went on to win. ^[18] In the words of Veja magazine, Gilberto "carried the piano for Ronaldo and Rivaldo to play their tunes on". Veja ( Portuguese for See) is a Brazilian weekly Newsmagazine published in São Paulo and distributed throughout the country Ronaldo Luis Nazário de Lima (xo'nawdʊ lu'iz na'zaɾjʊ dʒɪ 'limɐ born September 18, 1976. Rivaldo Vítor Borba Ferreira (born April 19, 1972 in Paulista, Pernambuco) commonly known as Rivaldo, is regarded as one of ^[13] He was not without attacking use either, setting up Ronaldo's semi-final goal to put Brazil through to the final. ^[19] It was Gilberto's performance in this tournament which led to him being classed as one of the top defensive midfielders in the world. ^[20]

Senior career

Gilberto's performance in the 2002 FIFA World Cup caught the attention of many coaches. Gilberto expressed a desire to move to England, saying, "It would be fantastic to play against the likes of David Beckham again. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland David Robert Joseph Beckham, and is also a member of the England national team. "^[21] As a result, Aston Villa and Arsenal led the chase to sign him. In August, while still under contract to Atlético Mineiro, Gilberto joined Arsenal on their pre-season tour of Austria; while he had not yet signed for Arsenal the deal looked set to go ahead. Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich However, complications arose when a transfer embargo was placed on Atlético Mineiro due to unpaid wages to some players at the club, including Gilberto. ^[22][23] There was also an issue of obtaining a UK work permit for Gilberto. Work permit is a generic term for a legal authorization which allows a person to take employment ^[24] Despite the complications, Gilberto ended a summer of speculation and joined Arsenal on August 7, 2002 for a fee of £4. Events 322 BC - Battle of Crannon between Athens and Macedon following the death of Alexander the Great. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. 5 million. Upon signing Gilberto, Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger said, "What I like was the fact that he kept things simple. Arsène Wenger OBE (born October 22, 1949 in Strasbourg) is a French football manager, in charge of Arsenal He can play all across the midfield but the holding role just in front of the defence is what he does best. "^[22]

Gilberto defending a corner for Arsenal at Highbury in April of 2006

When Gilberto moved to England and began training with Arsenal, he bought a house in St Albans, South Hertfordshire. St Albans is the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans in southern Hertfordshire, England, around north of central London. Hertfordshire (ˈhɑːtfədʃə(r, abbreviated Herts) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of ^[25] Having been used to life in small Brazilian towns, he initially struggled to adapt to the new way of life in London. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. ^[26] However, on the pitch, he settled in very quickly. On August 11, 2002 he made his Arsenal debut as a substitute against Liverpool in the second half of the FA Community Shield game in which he scored the winning goal. Events 2492 BC - Traditional date of the defeat of Bel by Hayk, progenitor and founder of the Armenian nation See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. Liverpool Football Club are an English professional Association football club based in Liverpool England. As the 2002–03 Premiership season began, Gilberto faced stiff competition for a place in midfield from compatriot Edu. The FA Premier League 2002-03 season (often referred to as the 2002-03 Barclaycard Premiership, due to sponsorship rights was the eleventh season of the Eduardo César Daude Gaspar (born May 15, 1978 in São Paulo, Brazil) known by the nickname Edu, is a Brazilian football After two substitute appearances Gilberto finally broke into the starting eleven on August 27, helping Arsenal to a 5–2 win against West Bromwich Albion. Events 479 BC - Greco-Persian Wars: Persian forces led by Mardonius are routed by Pausanias, the Spartan West Bromwich Albion Football Club (also known as West Brom, The Baggies, Albion, The Albion, The Throstles or WBA) are Gilberto's good form continued as he set a new record for the fastest goal scored in the UEFA Champions League, scoring after 20. See also List of European Cup and UEFA Champions League winners The UEFA Champions League, which evolved from the European Champion Clubs' Cup is a seasonal club 07 seconds against PSV Eindhoven on September 25, 2002. Philips Sport Vereniging ( English: Philips Sports Union) widely known either as PSV or PSV Eindhoven, is a Sports club from Events 303 - On a voyage preaching the Gospel, Saint Fermin of Pamplona is beheaded in Amiens, France See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ^[27] However, his legal problems continued, since his transfer to England still was not fully resolved. As a result Gilberto instructed his lawyers to start legal proceedings against Atlético Mineiro for unpaid wages in November 2002. ^[28] Atlético Mineiro were alleged to have only paid Gilberto 50% of his fee for moving to Arsenal. For the second half of the 2002–03 season, he remained a regular starter in the Arsenal side. Even though he suffered a lapse in form towards the end of the season, he won an FA Cup winner's medal, playing in the final at the Millennium Stadium as Arsenal beat Southampton 1–0. The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Millennium Stadium (Stadiwm y Mileniwm is the National stadium of Wales, located in the capital Cardiff. Southampton Football Club is a professional English football team, nicknamed The Saints and based in the city of Southampton.

2003–04 was an even better season for Gilberto, as he was instrumental in helping Arsenal win the FA Premier League title whilst going the entire season unbeaten. The Premier League, colloquially referred to as the Premiership, is an English professional league for football clubs He played in 32 of Arsenal's 38 unbeaten Premiership games during the season. His next season started equally impressively, as he scored the first goal in Arsenal's 3–1 FA Community Shield win over Manchester United at the Millennium Stadium. During the opening games of the season, he started to experience severe pain in his back, and after a match at Bolton on September 27, 2004, a scan revealed he had fractured his back. Events 489 - Odoacer attacks Theodoric at the Battle of Verona and is defeated again "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " At first it was reported that he would be out of action for a month. ^[29] Later reports suggested the injury could be season-threatening. ^[30]

Gilberto's doctor ordered him to wear a back brace for three months to aid the healing of the fractured bone. Arsène Wenger OBE (born October 22, 1949 in Strasbourg) is a French football manager, in charge of Arsenal ^[32] Gilberto returned to his native Brazil for the duration of his rehabilitation. ^[33] During his time there, he doubted whether he would ever be able to play football again, due to speculation that his injury could threaten his career. ^[32] Despite his concerns, his long rehabilitation time paid off as he made a full recovery. He made his footballing comeback in Arsenal's 4–1 victory over Norwich City on April 22, 2005. PLEASE NOTE This section is the introduction Please do not add too much detail here Events 1500 - Portuguese Navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral becomes the first European to sight Brazil. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. During the whole 2004–05 season, Gilberto was injured for 7 months and played only 17 games. His absence, combined with Arsenal's slump in form at the time, led to much discussion regarding the importance of Gilberto to the Arsenal team;^[34] some suggesting that Arsenal struggled without him. ^[22] Gilberto's difficult 2004–05 season ended in consolation as Arsenal finished runners-up in the Premiership and won the FA Cup against Manchester United on penalties. Penalty shootouts, properly named kicks from the penalty mark, are a method sometimes used to decide which team progresses to the next stage of a tournament (or wins the tournament During the summer which followed, on June 22, 2005, Gilberto played in Brazil's 1–1 draw against Japan, in his only game of the 2005 Confederations Cup. Events 217 BC - Battle of Raphia: Ptolemy IV of Egypt defeats Antiochus III the Great of the Seleucid kingdom. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Japan national football team is the national football team of Japan and is controlled by the Japan Football Association. The 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup football tournament was the seventh FIFA Confederations Cup. His absence as a first team regular could be explained by his lack of games, and thus match fitness, for Arsenal during the season leading up to the tournament. Gilberto's appearance in the tournament gained him a winners medal, as Brazil went on to win the competition.

In June 2005, football agent Jacques Lichtenstein took Atlético Mineiro to court over Gilberto's transfer in 2002. Lichtenstein's lawyer argued that he and his informal partner, Ronny Rosenthal, never received an allegedly agreed 10% commission from Gilberto's £4. Ronny Rosenthal ( Hebrew: רוני רוזנטל born October 11, 1963, in Haifa) nickname Rocket Ronny is an Israeli 5 million transfer to Arsenal from Atlético Mineiro in July 2002. ^[35] Arsène Wenger and Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein both gave evidence in court, saying that Arsenal dealt directly with Atlético Mineiro and that no agent was involved in the deal. David Barry Charles Dein (born 7 September 1943) is the former vice-chairman of Arsenal Football Club and former vice-chairman of The Football Association ^[36] The case was conducted before The Hon. Mr Justice Jack, who on June 29 ruled against Lichtenstein, and ordered the claimants pay Atletico Minéiro £94,000 in legal costs. Events 512 - A Solar eclipse is recorded by a monastic chronicler in Ireland. ^[37] A year later, the case could have caused problems for Arsenal, when former player Ashley Cole criticised the club for "hypocrisy and double standards" in the way they approached Gilberto. Ashley Cole (born 20 December 1980 in Stepney, London) is an English footballer of Barbadian descent ^[38]

Gilberto (right) faces up to Aston Villa captain Gareth Barry. Gareth Barry (born 23 February 1981 in Hastings

With legal matters subsided, the 2005–06 season began. Following midfielder and team captain Patrick Vieira's departure from Arsenal, Gilberto became a senior member of the Arsenal team. Patrick Vieira (born June 23, 1976 in Dakar, Senegal) is a Senegalese -born French - Cape Verdean international ^[9] Shortly into the season, in September 2005, his desire to see his career out with the club led to Gilberto extending his Arsenal contract to June 2009. ^[7] A month later this loyalty was repaid when, on October 18, 2005, Gilberto made his first appearance for Arsenal as captain, against Sparta Prague. Events 1009 - The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, a Christian church in Jerusalem, is completely destroyed by the Fatimid Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ^[39] Although Gilberto had a period of bad form during the winter months of the season, his good defensive performances during the latter stages of the UEFA Champions League (in particular, games against Real Madrid,^[40] Juventus FC^[41][42] and Villarreal CF^[43]) gained him praise. Villarreal Club de Fútbol, usually abbreviated to Villarreal, is a Spanish Primera División football club based in Villarreal On May 17, 2006 Gilberto played for Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League Final against FC Barcelona, which Arsenal lost 2–1. Events 1521 - Edward Stafford 3rd Duke of Buckingham, is executed for Treason. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Fútbol Club Barcelona ( Catalan fudˈbɔɫ ˌklup bəɾsəˈlonə Spanish ˈfutβol ˌkluβ baɾθeˈlona known familiarly as Barça (Spanish ˈbaɾsa Catalan During the summer which followed the 2005–06 season, AC Milan and Olympique Lyon were both rumoured to have expressed an interest in signing Gilberto. Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to by the abbreviation Milan, is an Italian professional football club based in Milan, Lombardy Olympique Lyonnais (popularly known as OL, or simply Lyon) is a French football club based in Lyon. ^[44][45] Neither clubs followed up with official offers. On the back of his good Champions League form, Gilberto was selected for the Brazil national football team for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th instance of the FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament Gilberto was substituted on in two games, and started twice due to another injury to Emerson. Brazil were beaten 1–0 by France in the quarter final. The French national football team represents the nation of France in international football. Following Brazil's World Cup disappointment, midfielder Juninho called for the older members of the Brazil squad (including Gilberto) to retire from international football. Antônio Augusto Ribeiro Reis Junior (born January 30, 1975 in Recife) commonly known as Juninho or Juninho Pernambucano, is ^[46] On the back of Gilberto's childhood idol Dunga^[11] being appointed Brazil coach,^[47] Gilberto did not take Juninho's advice, and subsequently continued his international career. Dunga (born Carlos Caetano Bledorn Verri on October 31, 1963 in Ijuí, Rio Grande do Sul) is a Brazilian former football

Following the departure of defender Sol Campbell and retirement of striker Dennis Bergkamp in the summer of 2006, Gilberto was announced as Arsenal's vice-captain for the 2006–07 season. Sulzeer Jeremiah Campbell (born 18 September 1974 paddington, London is an English footballer. Dennis Nicolaas Maria Bergkamp (born May 10, 1969 in Amsterdam) is a retired Dutch Professional footballer At club level ^[6] He began the season well, as he scored the first ever goal at the Dutch DSB Stadion in a pre-season friendly match. DSB Stadion is a multi-use Stadium in Alkmaar, Netherlands. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of An exhibition game (also known as an exhibition match or simply exhibition, or a demonstration or demo event is a sporting event He then scored Arsenal's first ever goal in a competitive match at the Emirates Stadium in a 1–1 draw with Aston Villa. The Emirates Stadium is a football stadium located on Ashburton Grove in Holloway, North London, and the home of Arsenal Football Club since His good form continued for Arsenal as he scored several league goals, garnering praise for his performances as stand-in captain while Thierry Henry was injured. Thierry Daniel Henry ( born 17 August 1977 ^[48][49] The turn of 2007 saw Gilberto linked to Juventus,^[50][51] a rumour which Arsène Wenger quickly dismissed. ^[52] Gilberto and his agent (Paulo Villana) also reiterated the player's desire to honour his contract with the Gunners. ^[53] Meanwhile, Gilberto's good form carried through to the second half of the season. Even though Arsenal only managed to finish fourth in the league, he ended the season as Arsenal's second highest scorer with ten Premiership goals. ^[53] The explanation for his unusually high tally is the fact that Henry suffered two lengthy injury spells, in which Gilberto stepped up as captain to take penalties. Gilberto's goal scoring record combined with his own good form in midfield and his leadership of Wenger's youthful squad led some Arsenal fans and football pundits to label Gilberto as Arsenal's best player of the season, and one of the best in the Premiership. ^[54][55][56] On 1 June 2007, Gilberto captained Brazil^[57] for the first full England international at the new Wembley Stadium. Events 193 - Roman Emperor Didius Julianus is Assassinated 987 - Hugh Capet is elected Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Wembley Stadium is a Stadium in Wembley, located in the London Borough of Brent in London, England. Having had a seemingly good headed goal disallowed after 20 minutes,^[58] he set up Brazil's only goal as the game ended 1–1. ^[59] During the summer of 2007 Gilberto played in the Copa America tournament, in which he was chosen to captain Brazil in the absence of Lúcio. ^[60] They went on to beat Argentina 3–0 in the final, though he missed the final game through suspension. ^[60]

Gilberto Silva discussing with Nani

The buildup of the 2007–08 season saw Arsenal captain Thierry Henry leave the club to join Barcelona. ^[61] This coupled with the fact that Gilberto was Arsenal's vice-captain during the 2006–07 season led many people to assume that Gilberto would take over Henry's role. ^[62][63] However, to the surprise of Gilberto,^[64] William Gallas was given the captain's armband instead. ^[65] In August, after returning to Arsenal's pre-season training late due to his involvement in the Copa America tournament^[66] (and thus missing the start of the season),^[67] Gilberto then lost his place in the first team to in-form midfielder Mathieu Flamini. Mathieu Flamini (born March 7, 1984 in Marseille) is a French international footballer of Italian descent currently ^[68] This reignited speculation linking Gilberto to Italy due to rumours that he was unhappy being on the bench at Arsenal. ^[66][69] However, reports that he was being snubbed at the club were dismissed by Wenger, who insisted that Gilberto would remain at Arsenal to fight for his place. ^[70][71] Despite this, in October 2007, rumours in the press reemerged that Gilberto was angry at Wenger for being asked to play in defence in a Carling Cup game against Sheffield United, and had resultantly refused to play. Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire. ^[72] Gilberto ended up playing the game in midfield though,^[73] with he and Wenger both denying rumours of a rift with each other. ^[74][75][76] Gilberto subsequently commented that while he was not happy being a substitute, he would remain professional and fight for his place at the club. ^[77] Also in October, Gilberto ceded the Brazilian captaincy to Lúcio upon his compatriot's return from injury. Lucimar Ferreira da Silva (born May 8, 1978 in Brasília) more commonly known as Lúcio, is a Brazilian football defender ^[78] Though rumours persisted which suggested that Gilberto would leave Arsenal in the January 2008 transfer window,^[79] he ended up remaining with the club. ^[80] Through the winter months of the 2007-08 season, Gilberto started a limited number of games for The Gunners, though he kept his place in the Brazil team, starting several games for A Seleção. ^[81][82][83] After becoming more and more frustrated with not playing regularly, Gilberto admitted in February 2008 that he had been made to feel "totally useless" by Wenger. ^[84] Despite this, he declined to make a decision on his future;^[85] something which prompted Wenger to promise talks with Gilberto. ^[86] Amidst Gilberto's frustration at Arsenal, he targeted playing in Brazil's Olympic bid in Beijing during August of 2008;^[87] a competition which he had never played in. Off the pitch, Gilberto was reported to have passed his UK Citizenship test, and that he would subsequently apply for a British passport. ^[88] April saw Gilberto's season take a turn for the better; making 5 starts – a substantial portion of his seasonal total of 12 – even managing to score a goal. The goal came against Reading on April 19, and despite its deflective nature leading to some classing it as a possible own goal,^[89] the Premier League's Dubious Goals Panel eventually credited the goal to Gilberto. Events 1012 - Martyrdom of Alphege in Greenwich London. 1529 - At the Second Diet of Speyer ^[90] Gilberto's return to favour couldn't stop Arsenal's 2007-08 season ending trophyless. The club subsequently faced the possibility of several players leaving;^[91] among those rumoured to leave was Flamini, the player who had kept Gilberto out of the first team. The Frenchman ended up moving to AC Milan on May 6,^[92] and a subsequent gap was left in the Arsenal midfield. Events 1527 - Spanish and German troops sack Rome; some consider this the end of the Renaissance. Gilberto became less likely to leave the club during Summer 2008 as a result, and Wenger remarked that he wanted to keep Gilberto;^[93], Gilberto saying he wanted to stay^[94] and possibly even renew his contract at Arsenal. ^[95] Gilberto finished the 2007-08 season with 36 appearances for Arsenal, albeit only 12 of these being Premiership starts. ^[96] Following the end of the Premiership season, Gilberto was called up to the Brazil national team for World Cup qualifiers during the summer as well as a tour of the USA. ^[97]

In the past, Gilberto has indicated that he would see out his remaining contract with Arsenal,^[7] while also expressing a desire to extend it beyond 2009. ^[98][77] However, he has also hinted that he may one day return to Brazil to play for Atlético Mineiro;^[99] while also not ruling out a move to Italy. ^[100] After his football career finishes, he has said that he would like to, "Live in a small farm and ride a horse and have all of my family next to me. "^[101]

Style of play

Gilberto is often called "the invisible wall" (or "volante") in Brazil. ^[11] His play often goes unnoticed as he positions himself between the two centre backs and the rest of midfield, breaking up opposition attacks before they gather momentum. In this role, he is a part of the defensive unit for both club and country. ^[102] As Arsenal and Brazil are both attack minded teams, he offers cover for attacking wing-backs and other midfielders who have a poor record of dropping back to help the defence. In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring When playing, Gilberto occasionally drops into the centre of defence to cover the central defenders, usually Lúcio for Brazil and Kolo Touré for Arsenal, who are both known for their attacking runs forward with the ball. Lucimar Ferreira da Silva (born May 8, 1978 in Brasília) more commonly known as Lúcio, is a Brazilian football defender Kolo Habib Touré (born March 19, 1981 in Bouake) is a Muslim Ivorian footballer who plays for Arsenal. Gilberto's style of defending is unlike that of normal midfield enforcers. Whereas some midfielders such as Robbie Savage and Roy Keane are very strong in the challenge, Gilberto is more passive when he defends. Robert William "Robbie" Savage (born October 18 1974) is a professional footballer who plays as a Midfielder. Roy Maurice Keane (born 10 August 1971 in Mayfield, Cork) is an Irish former professional footballer and the current manager of Rather than tackle a player, he is more likely to shadow him, thus pushing him back. ^[103] As a result, he has an unusually clean record for a defensive midfielder: he has twice gone 45 games or more without receiving a single booking during his Arsenal career. Misconduct in association football is any conduct by a player which is deemed by the referee to warrant a disciplinary sanction (caution or dismissal in accordance ^[104] This mentality earns him both praise and criticism.

Gilberto is good at helping to defend against opponents who play a long-ball game because he often man marks the opposition's attacking target-man. Man-to-man marking, or man marking, is a defensive strategy used in Association football, where defenders are assigned a specific opposition player Strikers, also known as forwards and attackers, are the players on a team in Association football (soccer in the row nearest to the opposing This cuts off the opposition's supply to the strikers, and thus forces the long-ball team to play through the midfield, something to which long-ball teams are not particularly suited. ^[105]

Despite Gilberto's high pass completion rate,^[106] his passing has been described as erratic in the past. ^[107] A possible explanation for this, is Gilberto's short passing range. He is more likely to offload the ball frequently to midfield players close around him (such as Cesc Fàbregas), thus easily gaining a high pass completion rate. Francesc "Cesc" Fàbregas Soler (born 4 May 1987 in Arenys de Mar, Barcelona, Spain is a Spanish footballer who plays as a central These short-range passes often go unnoticed, while relatively infrequent long-range incomplete passes often receive negative attention, although not enough to significantly lower his overall pass completion rate.

According to ProZone (a data analysis system used by football managers) figures cited by The Sunday Times in January 2007, Gilberto was, together with Paul Scholes of Manchester United and Frank Lampard of Chelsea, one of the few midfielders in England to attain "the elite Champions League level" of performance. The Sunday Times is a Sunday Broadsheet Newspaper distributed in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. Paul Aaron Scholes (born 16 November 1974) is an English football player who has spent his whole career at Manchester United. Frank James Lampard Jr (born 20 June 1978 in Romford, London) is an English football Midfielder currently playing for Premier ^[108]

Outside football

Gilberto Silva at a photo shoot for The Street League

Gilberto is known for his gentlemanly sportsmanship and cool, unfluttered temperament on the pitch. He rarely, if ever, gets into on-field confrontations, and is usually seen as a peacemaker during any bust-up. Off pitch, he has been described as polite, conscientious and soft-spoken by interviewers. ^[109]

Gilberto is a patron of The Street League, a UK based charity which organises football matches for homeless people, refugees and asylum seekers. According to the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, a refugee is a person who owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race According to the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, a refugee is a person who owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race In June 2003, Gilberto travelled to Brazil on tour with 17 Street League players. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld ^[110] The tour included a visit to his home town Lagoa da Prata and games against local shanty town teams at the Maracanã stadium. Shanty towns (also called Squatter camps or Favelas are settlements (sometimes illegal or unauthorized of impoverished people who live in improvised The Estádio Jornalista Mário Filho, commonly called Estádio do Maracanã ("Maracanã stadium" is an open-air stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Gilberto plays a tune on a mandolin

Gilberto is a keen musician. A mandolin is a musical instrument in the Lute family (plucked or strummed In his spare time he plays the mandolin and the guitar. A mandolin is a musical instrument in the Lute family (plucked or strummed When he first moved to England he took up mandolin lessons and played publicly at his local pub in St Albans. He later started learning the guitar instead. ^[111] Like many Brazilian footballers he plays samba music with his teammates in the Seleção (the Brazilian national team) when they are relaxing in between international matches.

Gilberto has a Giant Anteater named after him at London Zoo. The Giant Anteater, Myrmecophaga tridactyla, is the largest Species of Anteater. ZSL London Zoo is the world's oldest scientific Zoo. It was opened in London on April 27 1828, and was originally intended to be used Gilberto is an adoptee of the animal, which he received from a London Zoo competition winner. The footballer described the South American animal as "my slightly more hairy brother!"^[112]

Career statistics

(Statistics correct as of 30 March 2008)

(Statistics correct as of November 22, 2007)
(Brackets indicate appearances in non-FIFA matches, and do not count towards total)

Honours

With Brazil:

• World Cup: 2002^[115]
• Confederations Cup: 2005^[116]
• Copa América: 2007

With América-MG:

• Série B: 1997^[13]

With Atlético-MG:

• Minas Gerais State League: 2000^[114]

With Arsenal:

• FA Community Shield: 2002,^[117] 2004^[118]
• FA Cup: 2003,^[119] 2005^[120]
• FA Premier League: 2004^[22]
• Emirates Cup: 2007^[121]
• Amsterdam Tournament: 2007^[121]

References

External links

• Profile at Arsenal. com
• National team profile at CBF homepage (Portuguese)
• Gilberto Silva career stats at Soccerbase
• All about Gilberto at sambafoot. The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF or Confederação Brasileira de Futebol in Portuguese is the governing body of football in Brazil, The Racing Post is a British daily Horse racing, Greyhound racing and Sports betting Newspaper. com
• Gilberto Silva Website - Unofficial Fan Site
• Gilberto Streetleague Video on Google Video