David Silva

Background

David Josue Jimenez Silva is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Manchester City in the English Premier League and the Spain national team. He was born on 8th January 1986 and hails from the fishing village of Arguineguin, in Canary Islands, Spain.

Career

Silva started playing football in the youth team of UD San Fernando as a nine year old. Surprisingly, he initially played as a goalkeeper, but became a winger later. At the age of 14, he accepted an offer to join Valencia’s youth academy. He went on to become an automatic starter for Valencia at the young age of 20, after impressive loan stints with Eibar and Celta Vigo. After spending six seasons at Valencia, he moved to his current club, Manchester City in the summer of 2010. Since then, he has been representing the English side and has won every domestic trophy on offer.

On the international front, Silva has been capped more than a hundred times and was a vital cog of the Spanish team as they won three consecutive international trophies between 2008 and 2012.

Position and Playing Style

Silva plays as a central midfielder for his club and country. Dubbed ‘Merlin’ or ‘El Mago’ meaning the magician, Silva's creativity on the ball has gained him plenty of plaudits. A technically proficient player, he boasts of an excellent first touch and dribbling capability which allows him to retain possession in the tightest of places.