Gilberto Silva Bio Send To Friend  

With the emergence of Mathieu Flamini in 2007/08, Gilberto's impact at Arsenal was limited and he was also overlooked for the captaincy role with William Gallas taking the armband.

The tough midfielder is the sort of player that tends to go about his job quietly and effectively rather than catching the eye, yet he has been more of a bit-part player in the past few seasons and has been linked with a move away from the club.

Gilberto, who has also played for America MG, struggled to break into the professional game at first - working in a sweet factory, a quarry and then for a furniture manufacturer before turning to football.

He joined the Gunners from Atletico Mineiro in his homeland, after having played for the Gunners on their tour of Austria before his work permit was granted. He was an inspirational figure in games against AS Roma and Panathinaikos.

He completed his move to Arsenal for an undisclosed fee, believed to be in the region of Ł4.5million, in early August 2002.

The defensive midfielder had been a latecomer into the World Cup plans of then-Brazil coach 'Big Phil' Scolari, but once in Korea/Japan was an integral part of the side. The player would start all of his country's games as they lifted the trophy.

He made a brilliant impact on his Arsenal debut, scoring the winning goal after coming on as a substitute in the FA Community Shield against Liverpool. His first start came in a 5-2 thrashing of West Bromwich Albion at Highbury.

Gilberto looked to be one of the bargains of the year, although he did fade in the second half of the season after the exertions of the World Cup campaign.

And he also broke the record for the fastest goal in the Champions League, scoring after only 19.4 seconds at PSV Eindhoven.

After helping Arsenal to victory in the FA Cup final, he enjoyed another good season in 2003/04 as Arsenal won the Premiership with an unbeaten record.

But his 2004/05 campaign was ruined by a fractured vertebrae that kept him out from September until April.

His return to full fitness for 2005/06 was marked by a new contract to keep him at the club until the summer of 2009 and he was announced as the club's vice-captain for the 2006/07 season.

With Thierry Henry out injured, Gilberto assumed the captaincy and played a major role in Arsenal's season, helping the youngsters to settle at the club and playing a vital defensive role.

Yet in 2007/08, Arsene Wenger decided to give Mathieu Flamini his chance in midfield and the young Frenchman made the role his own. Gilberto was unable to get back into the side and had to be content with a bit-part role.

To make matters worse, the Brazilian was overlooked for the captain's armband he had worn in the absence of Henry a year earlier, as William Gallas took control.

Facing an uncertain future, Gilberto's role at the club as an elder statesman cannot be understated and he is a tremendous asset to the Gunners' dressing room. With Flamini's exit to AC Milan, he is back in contention to partner Cesc Fabregas for the coming season, although has been linked with a move away from the club.