Thiago Silva

Thiago Emiliano da Silva (born 22 September 1984) is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for club Chelsea and the Brazil national team.

Widely regarded as one of the best defenders of his generation, he is known for his defensive prowess, discipline, and leadership.

In 1999, at the age of 15, Silva auditioned at Madureira, Olaria, and Flamengo; he was rejected at each club, the trial at Flamengo being the most difficult for him as he was not even observed by coaches.

After another unsuccessful trial at Botafogo, Silva was taken on by his hometown side Barcelona, a small Brazilian club in the lower divisions.

The following year, Silva played at a showcase tournament in São Paulo in the hope of attracting the attention of bigger clubs.

It is there where he was spotted by Paulo César Carpegiani, who invited him to join RS Futebol in the south of Brazil.

Joining the club in the end of 2001, Silva became a professional in 2002 and competed in the third division of the Campeonato Gaúcho, finishing second and achieving promotion to the state's second division.

In a tournament played in Ancona, Italy, Silva was spotted by Bruno Conti, a coach with Roma.

Conti wanted him to play for Roma, but Silva did not accept the offer.

Strong performances in his last season as a defensive midfielder led to Silva's move to Juventude.

Silva began his senior club career in 2002 playing as a midfielder for RS Futebol, and transitioned to a defensive position while at Juventude; he then signed with Porto in 2004, at age 19, and moved to Dynamo Moscow on loan, where he was hospitalized with a near fatal bout of tuberculosis.

After recovering, he joined Fluminense and won a Copa do Brasil.

Juventude had made a huge leap in league placement during Silva's time at the club – from finishing 18th with 53 points in 2003, to finishing 7th with 70 points in 2004.

Silva's performances had caught the eye of many clubs with his outstanding performances, and he was sold to Porto.

Silva moved to Juventude in 2004, where he played for six months.

At 20 years old, Silva transitioned from midfield to defence under the tutelage of Ivo Wortmann.

In his only season at Juventude, Silva was regarded as the revelation of the season.

He was rated by the sports magazine Placar as the third-best defender in Brazil and was included in the team of the season.

Silva was bought by Porto for €2.5 million in 2004, but played only for the reserve team.

After a year in Portugal, he joined Dynamo Moscow, where he was diagnosed with tuberculosis and was hospitalised for six months.

He is quoted as saying, "Every now and then a doctor would come in and give me an injection, three or four times a day, plus 10-15 pills."

His illness became much worse over time and his doctors told him that if he had been hospitalized two weeks later, he could have died.

During his recovery, Silva decided to retire from football but was persuaded to reconsider by his mother.

Silva returned to football with the help of his former coach, Ivo Wortmann.

In 2006, Wortmann was signed as a coach by Fluminense and requested to bring Silva with him, despite Silva's health issues.

On 14 January, Fluminense announced the signing of Silva from Dynamo Moscow.

Fluminense struggled in the 2006 Brasileirão, finishing 15th out of 20 teams; however, Silva was described as one of the best players in the season.

It is during this time where Silva developed the nickname of "O Monstro" — Portuguese for "The Monster".

Silva made his senior international debut for Brazil in 2008 at age 23, and has since received over 110 caps, including appearances in eight major tournaments.

He earned a bronze medal at the Summer Olympics in 2008 and a silver in 2012, before serving as captain for Brazil on home soil as they won the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup and finished fourth at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

In 2009, Silva moved to AC Milan for a reported fee of €8 million and won the 2010–11 Serie A title.

In 2012, Silva was the subject of a then-record association football deal when he signed for Paris Saint-Germain in a transfer worth up to €42 million, becoming the most expensive defender ever at the time.

There, he would become the club's longest serving captain, winning seven Ligue 1 titles, six Coupes de la Ligue, five Coupes de France, and playing in the final of the UEFA Champions League, which served as his last PSG appearance.

He currently ranks eighth in all-time appearances for the club.

Silva was also a member of the sides that won the Copa América in 2019 and finished runners-up in 2021.

When he was younger, Silva was admitted into a school in the Campo Grande neighborhood of Rio – coincidentally a feeder school for Fluminense.

At the age of 14, Silva impressed Fluminense coach Maurinho during a friendly in Xerém.

He was given a short trial, where he was given the role of a defensive midfielder.

Silva's playing opportunities were few, prompting him to trial for other clubs.

In 2020, the 36-year-old Silva joined Chelsea on a free transfer, winning the Champions League in his first season, and both the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup in his second.