Player of the season nominees: Thiago Silva

With the season having ended, Sportskeeda decided to let its viewers rate the 30 best players of the season.

We will be shortlisting 30 of the best performers this term, and let you pick your winner.

What do you think? Have your say at the end of the article.

Life before PSG

When Thiago Silva jumped ship to ornament his wardrobe with a Paris Saint-Germain jersey, he received a lot of slack for being a “mercenary of football”. However, the centre back was quick to rebuke such ill-favored titles. He came out vocally to declare his love for his previous employers, AC Milan, and said his move to the French capital was one that was forced upon him. Milan was undergoing dire times thanks to their insolvent finances, for which to tackle the Italians giants had to sell many of their star players – one being Thiago Silva for 42 million Euros.

In contrast to his hyped up transfer from Milan to PSG, Silva was not always to be reckoned with as a marketable asset. This so called “star player” was not always lucrative business to begin with. He plied his trade in a host of Brazilian clubs before Portuguese giants, Porto came calling. Failing to cement a place even amongst the reserves meant Silva moved elsewhere to get more adequate game time. The next stop was Dynamo Moscow where similar fore-ordination awaited him.

Two years later, he managed to solace his reputation by playing a key role in Fluminese’s Copa Libertadores campaign. Despite finishing second in the tournament, a host of European club offers followed Silva who picked his destination to be AC Milan.

At Milan was where the Brazilian captivated audiences across the planet. His potent aerial abilities, indispensable leadership and no nonsense defending proved vital in the Rossoneri winning its first league title in eight years. He also earned a place in the 2011 Serie A team of the Year, 2011 and 2012 UEFA Team of the Year, and won the reputed Migliore difensore as the Italian league’s best defender. Moreover, he was beginning to forge his place in Brazilian National Team as the first choice centre back and in due time, was appointed captain.

2012-13 season at PSG

Thiago Silva’s first season for PSG didn’t begin in the most ceremonious manner. His niggling injuries kept him aside for the beginning of the season but he did make his first start for PSG in the group stages of the UEFA Champions League.

Playing against a less favored Dynamo Kyiv side, Silva chronicled his first appearance as a special one by scoring in the 4-1 thumping of the Ukranians. A week later, Silva played his first game in the Ligue 1 against Bastia on 22^nd September. He was soon made club captain by Carlo Ancelloti who had seen the 28 year old’s goal driven mentality during his days at AC Milan.

A second goal for Thiago Silva was not far away as he helped the Parisians knock out arch rivals, Marseille, out of the Coupe de la Ligue. The goal may have been from the penalty spot but Silva’s composure showcased another one of the defender’s much talked about attributes.

His positioning throughout the season had been sublime with even the most revered of attackers failing to dodge past him. One such performance was against Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League where goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu was rarely troubled as Silva’s supreme reading of the game was instrumental in PSG running rout of their opponents.

A tough game followed against Barcelona in the Champions League where every critic predicted a one-way rout for the Catalans. The games were close with Thiago Silva at the heart of it in defense. While PSG might have narrowly missed out in a semi-final berth in the Champions League, Silva’s performance on the field stood out even amongst the likes of the world’s best trio of players – Xavi Hernandez, Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta.

Over this past season, Silva’s presence in the back four has tremendously reduced worries to ponder over for the coaching staff at PSG. A season before Silva’s arrival at the French capital saw the team concede 41 goals at the back in Ligue. But in 2012-13 with Silva administering the back four, Paris Saint-Germain had only 23 goals scored against them.

He might have been at PSG just for a single season but that didn’t stop fellow Brazilian and former PSG centre back, Ricardo, from declaring Silva as the best defender in the club’s history. Speaking in his interview with the Le Parisien, Ricardo said, “He is already among the best defenders in the history of Brazil, alongside Mozer, Julio Cesar and Aldair. If he wins the World Cup next year he will become the greatest of all time. He is already the best defender in PSG’s history.”

In the beginning of the 2012-13 season, suspensions and injuries haltered Silva’s progress at PSG. But the stalwart defender was quick to bounce back and proved his worth by aiding his side keep the most clean sheets in 2012-13. The captain of the Rouge et Bleu also marked first season in France’s top flight by securing a spot in the Ligue 1 Team of the Year and earning a much deserved nomination in the Player of the Year ballot. And not to forget, PSG were crowned as Ligue 1 Champions for the first time in 19 years.

Outings with the Brazilian National Team

For Brazil too, Thiago Silva dons the captain’s armband despite having earned less than 40 caps. He scored his first goal for the Samba boys in a victory over cross-continent rivals, the United States.

For years, the Brazilian National team switched around players for the captain’s armband with the Selecao, seeming to finally find their dream leader. While the team has stars such as Neymar and Oscar who are more flamboyant footballers, Silva resorts to commanding respect with his calm yet charismatic approach to the game. The decision to hand Silva the captaincy was therefore simple. But with that was heaped a huge pile of pressure but over the course of 2013-13, Silva didn’t disappoint one bit.

Rarely will you see the centre back yell at his teammates or flash his frustration as a defender. Instead, he ceaselessly runs around the pitch, reassuring players and coaches of the stability he creates within the back four. Even if he loses out in a battle, he will be quick to run back and counter the same opponent.

Thiago Silva is also modest of his achievements and prefers to share them with his teammates – a characteristic that has earned him from praise from several legends of the game. A definite highlight of Thiago Silva’s 2013 summer with the Brazilian National Team was when he led the team to the Confederations Cup title. Playing at home, Silva and the Brazilians unfurled their might against the so called invincibility of Spain and South American ascendancy of Uruguay.

Even the likes of the Andres Iniesta, Luis Suarez and Edison Cavani found it incredibly hard to surge past this monster of defender who had more than his fair share of interceptions, tackles and clearances. With another mention in the Confederations Cup’s best eleven, Thiago Silva has unanimously cemented his stature in club and international football as the world’s best defender.

What is next for Thiago Silva?

Silva is to be bestowed with the decree of being the world’s best defender at the moment. As he has consistently evinced with his visionary performances, the Brazilian is sure to be a treat to watch in 2013-14. While reports link him with another move in his club career, Silva’s ability to flourish in any team’s setup will not hinder his proficiency as a team leader or being a venturesome defensive magnate.

If 2012-13 was a sight of Thiago Silva’s dominance in the leagues of France or in international football, 2013-14 may not be any different. And he better be in his customary bests of form if he wants to lead his national side to a sixth World Cup crown next summer on home soil.

Click here to view the rest of the Player of the Season nominees