The seventh player to receive the accolade of being inducted into our Lovely Left Footers series is a man who has spent the last eighteen months taking the Premier League by storm, having already established himself as one of La Liga’s leading lights. Here, Gary Linton profiles the diminutive David Silva. Gary also writes for The Football Project and you can find him on twitter @Linton1388.
Twenty-five years old, twenty-five! Yet he already boasts one Copa del Rey, one FA Cup, one European Championship and, last but not least, a World Cup medal. To have won so much at a young age is, quite frankly, amazing.
What makes him such a talented footballer? Skill, flare, pace, his reading of the game but most importantly, his lovely left foot.
David Josué Jiménez Silva was born in Arguineguín, Gran Canaria and started his footballing career at local team UD San Fernando whose youth team he joined when he was nine. At the age of 14 he was offered the chance to sign for Valencia, and he agreed and spent the next three years in the youth team, working his way up towards the B squad. In the 2004/2005 season he made his professional début, on loan to Segunda Division side SD Eibar, where he made thirty-five appearances and scored five goals. The following season he was again sent out on loan, this time to Celta de Vigo and he impressed again, this time making thirty-four appearances, scoring four.
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“Logically Kaka has won more and done more in the game, but David is heading that way with steady performances. If I had to choose either, I’d stay with David.” – Valencia coach Unai Emery, September 2009
Early years
Silva then returned to Valencia in the 2006 seasons and spent the next four years trying to help a club that by each passing year were getting more and more crippled with debt. During his time with the club he managed to help Valencia to the last sixteen in the Champions League, last sixteen in the UEFA Cup and a third placed finish in La Liga. He linked up so well with his partner in crime, David Villa, who with every passing transfer window they were always rumoured to move on, and eventually did when Barcelona came calling with a €40M cheque in May 2010.
The one thing that didn’t quite come for Silva at Los Che were goals, scoring only just over twenty in the four seasons he was there. When they did come they could be special though, and he will always be remembered for this goal against Chelsea in that Champions League.
As Valencia’s debt continued to mount they had no choice but to continued shedding players, and that meant Silva following Villa out, though the former’s destination was Manchester City; on the 30th June 2010 he signed a four year contract with the club. His first league goal for City came in an away game against Blackpool. With just minutes left on the clock, City 2-1 up, the match still all to play for, Silva beats one defender, beats another, then beats him again and just strokes the ball to the top corner of the net with a left foot shot, a lovely finish. In the last year Silva has became a guaranteed starter in a City squad that boosts such talented players. It is just a joy to watch the little Spaniard, at City it is like he studies the game while on the pitch, always looking for that little through ball, and he always manages to take it by the scruff of the neck, rarely breaking sweat.
Man on fire
This season he’s started like a house on fire, in just nine games he has managed six assists, scored three goals and managed, in his recent outing, to put in a man of the match performance against rivals Manchester United. Carlos Tévez commented in the past on Silva, “He’s the best signing we have made”, and Gary Neville said, “He’s the best player in the league”. At City Silva could go on to do wonderful things at a club that is looking to take not only the Premier league but also Europe by storm. If he continues the form he’s showing it is just a matter of time before he will be collecting a prize such as the Ballon d’or.
Silva was a player born to play for a team like Spain, it just fits like a glove. He’s represented Spain at every level. Under 16?s, 17?s,19?s, 20?s, 21?s and obviously the full squad. In 2008 Spain were crowned European Champions, Silva played in every game except one. He scored in the semi-final, against Russia, which they won 3-0, booking a place in the final. His main highlight at the national team though, came when Spain won the 2010 World Cup. Silva may not have got a lot of playing time, but he did still receive the biggest medal in the game.
It is always hard to get into a team such as Spain with so many talented midfielders, but he’s doing everything in his power to remain a part of the first team. In Spain’s last outing they were up against the (mighty) Scotland and Silva was man of the match, setting up one goal and scoring the other two in a 3-1 win in Alicante, and you guessed it, all coming courtesy of that lovely left foot.
