David Josué Jiménez Silva (Spanish pronunciation: [daˈβið xoˈswe xiˈmeneθ ˈsilβa]; born 8 January 1986) is a Spanish footballer who plays for Manchester City and the Spanish national team.Silva has been a youth national team member since 2001, and a member of the Spanish national team since 2006.Silva plays mainly as an attacking midfielder but has also played as a winger or a second striker on some occasions. He is known for his vision,ability on the ball and improvisation.
A Spanish international since the age of 20, he was an integral member of the squads that won three consecutive international tournaments — UEFA Euro 2008, 2010 FIFA World Cup, and UEFA Euro 2012 — the first time a European team has achieved such a feat.
Silva spent six years of his professional career with Valencia CF, appearing in more than 150 games and winning one Copa del Rey in 2008, before moving in the summer of 2010 to Manchester City. His passing ability and possession-retaining qualities have earned him the nickname "Merlin" from his teammates.[3][4] Since joining City, Silva has appeared in over 100 games in three seasons, winning the FA Cup and Premier League.
Early life
Silva was born in Arguineguín, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, to Fernando Jiménez, a former municipal police officer who eventually was responsible for the safety of the Valencia CF stadium, and Eva Silva. His father, Fernando, is Canarian while his mother, Eva, is of Japanese descent, claimed by the Canarian media.[5][6] Silva has two younger siblings, sister Natalia and brother Nando[citation needed]. He is commonly called by the nickname Chino (Spanish for "Chinese") due to his physical appearance.[citation needed]Silva began playing football in the youth team of UD San Fernando, near Maspalomas. Originally, he played as a goalkeeper, before becoming a winger[7] and mirrored his game around his footballing idol as a youth, Michael Laudrup.[7] When he was 14, he received an offer to become a youth player at Valencia CF, which he accepted. He stayed in Valencia's youth set-up until he was 17.
Club career
Valencia
A product of Valencia CF's youth system, Silva made his professional debut in 2004–05, with Segunda División's SD Eibar, while on loan from Valencia, playing 35 league games and scoring on five occasions. In the following season, he was again out on loan, this time to Celta de Vigo, where he played 34 matches, scoring four goals. After two late substitute appearances, the first in a 2–0 home win over Málaga CF on 28 August 2005, Silva finished as an undisputed starter as the Galician side reached the UEFA Cup straight from the second-tier.Silva returned to Valencia in the summer of 2006, becoming an automatic first-choice despite his young age (20). In two seasons combined, he only missed six matches and netted 14 goals (his first coming on 5 November 2006 in a 1–1 draw at RCD Espanyol). In August 2008, he extended his contract by five years, amidst interest of several Premier League teams.[8] He won the Copa del Rey 2008, his first title in Spain.
After not appearing in the first three months of 2008–09 due to a chronic ankle ailment,[9] Silva returned to the call-ups in mid-December. On 3 January 2009, he scored twice in a 3–1 home win over Atlético Madrid,[10] still contributing with 19 matches (four goals) as the Che qualified for the Europa League.
In the 2009–10 season, Silva scored a career-best eight goals, as Valencia finished in third position and returned to the UEFA Champions League. On 15 April 2010, he scored a brace against Athletic Bilbao for a 2–0 home win,[11] adding three assists in the 4–4 thriller at Werder Bremen for the Europa League's round of 16.[12]
Manchester City
2010–11
On 30 June 2010, Manchester City announced that they had reached an agreement with Valencia over the transfer of Silva and that he would join the club on a four-year deal, prior to the start of the 2010–11 season.[13] On 14 July, the Premier League side completed the signing[14] and Silva was awarded the number 21 shirt, the same number he wore for Valencia and when playing for Spain. Manchester City had previously tried to sign Silva and his Valencia team-mate David Villa in 2008, but were put off when Valencia quoted a £135 million combined price tag on both players.[15]
On 12 February 2011, he was credited for the equalising goal in the 2–1 loss to rivals Manchester United when an Edin Džeko shot deflected off his back and into the net. On 2 March, he scored from twenty yards out in an FA Cup win (3–0) against Aston Villa. Three days later, he scored the only goal in Manchester City's win against Wigan Athletic. Silva netted the third goal in City's 5–0 rout of Sunderland on 3 April. His assist to Yaya Touré against Everton at Goodison Park took Silva to 15 assists in all competitions for the season.[25]
Following his debut season in the Premier League, Silva has emerged as one of the league's finest playmakers. Carlos Tévez lauded him as "the best signing we (Manchester City) have made."[26]
2011–12
Silva began the 2011–12 season in fine form, scoring the third goal in City's 4–0 thrashing of Swansea City[27] and was voted man of the match. He also scored the following week against Bolton Wanderers, and was again named man of the match.[28] Silva then set up two of Sergio Agüero's three goals in City's second home game against Wigan Athletic. After a series of magnificent displays from Silva, City boss Roberto Mancini compared him to fellow Spain internationals Xavi and Andrés Iniesta and said that Silva is "one of the best players in the world".[29] On 1 October, Silva was awarded the Premier League Player of the Month for his outstanding performances, making it the first time ever that two Manchester City players have won the award in back to back months with Edin Džeko winning it the month before.
Silva scored a goal in City's 3–2 away win against Queens Park Rangers on 5 November[34] and also scored in City's 1–0 home win against Arsenal on 18 December.[35] He also contributed by scoring the fourth goal in City's 4–0 home win against West Brom on 11 April.[36]
In addition to winning his first Premier League medal with Manchester City, he also finished the season as top of the assists table with 17 assists to his name[37] and was one of four City players who made it in the PFA's Premier League Team of the Year.[38]
2012–13
On 17 September 2012, Silva signed a new five-year deal at City, committing himself to the Etihad Stadium until 2017.[39] He injured himself playing for Spain, which meant he had to miss four games for Manchester City. On 11 November, he provided the crucial assist, a lofted through-ball, to striker Edin Džeko, who converted in the 88th minute to steal a 2–1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur. His first league goal of the season came in a 5–0 thrashing of Aston Villa at home in the very next league match, on 17 November. On 19 January 2013, Silva scored a brace against Fulham at home in a 2–0 win. On 9 March, he scored the fifth and final goal in Manchester City's win (5–0) against Barnsley at Wembley Stadium in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, sealing progression to the semi-finals. He finished the season with four goals and ten assists in 32 league appearances for a City squad that finished runners-up to city rivals Manchester United for the Premier League title.2013-14
On 19 August 2013, Manchester City started the campaign against Newcastle at home. David Silva headed the 1st goal of the game at close range after the cross by Edin Džeko was pushed away by Tim Krul. [40] Manchester City won the game 4-0.International career
Silva made his senior international debut in the 1–0 friendly home defeat to Romania on 15 November 2006, and continued to receive call-ups to the side after good contributions in his first games. On 22 August 2007, he scored his first two goals for Spain, netting twice in a 3–2 friendly win versus Greece, and was then called up to the squad of 23 for UEFA Euro 2008.
In the semi-finals game versus Russia, Silva scored the third goal for Spain after a quick counter-attack in which Cesc Fàbregas delivered a low cross, and he sent the ball into Igor Akinfeev's goal with his left foot.[41] In the final, he was involved in an incident with Germany's Lukas Podolski. After he pulled Podolski to the ground, the German approached Silva, which resulted in an angry exchange of words and a coming together of heads that the referee decided not to punish. Shortly afterward, Spanish coach Luis Aragonés substituted Silva for Santi Cazorla in an attempt to calm the tensions.[42]
After appearing regularly during 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification – Spain won all ten fixtures – Silva was also picked for the squad for the finals in South Africa. His participation was, however, a small one, as the national team won the tournament: he started in the first match, a 0–1 group stage defeat against Switzerland, then played the last four minutes of the 1–0 win against Germany in the semi-finals.
On 11 August 2010, during an international friendly with Mexico, Silva scored two minutes into second-half injury time, ending the game with a 1–1 draw.[43] In a Euro 2012 qualifier against Liechtenstein on 3 September 2010, Silva scored after 62 minutes, in a 4–0 away win.[44] The following month, in the same competition, he scored through a rare header, as the national team downed Lithuania in Salamanca (3–1).
Silva was a starter in all six matches of Spain's Euro 2012 campaign. In the 14th minute of the Euro 2012 Final, he headed home a Cesc Fàbregas cross, giving Spain a 1–0 lead.[48] The match ended 4–0 and concluded the tournament in which Silva scored two goals and made three assists, the best efficiency (goals and assists) of any player at the Euros.[49] He was subsequently named in UEFA's Euro 2012 Team of the Tournament for his performances.[50]
Silva was named in Vicente del Bosque's 23-man squad list for Spain's contestation of the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, held in Brazil. On 20 June 2013, Silva scored two goals in Spain's 10–0 demolition of Tahiti. [51]
David Silva started the friendly game against Ecuador http://us.soccerway.com/matches/2013/08/14/world/friendlies/ecuador/spain/1459147/ Spain won the game 2-0. Silva was substituted on after 46 minutes by Fernando Llorente.
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