18. Mikael Silvestre

Mikael is one of the most decorated footballers in Premier League history and the most experienced man in the Arsenal squad.
The French defender signed on a two-year deal from Manchester United in August 2008 and has proved to be a valuable squad member ever since.

Mikael’s versatility is well known – he can operate at left-back as well as his more familiar centre-back role – and he made 23 appearances in all competitions last season.

Calm in possession, strong in the air and an excellent reader of the game, Mikael is also a threat at the other end of the pitch and scored twice in his first season at Emirates Stadium. He endeared himself to Arsenal fans with a header against Tottenham and tucked away a neat finish in a 4-1 win at Wigan.

Before moving to Arsenal, Mikael had been with Manchester United since 1999, winning a host of domestic honours including four Premier League titles, one FA Cup winner’s medal and a League Cup winner’s medal.

He was also part of the Champions League-winning side of 2008 and made a total of 361 appearances for the United, scoring 10 goals.

Silvestre, who debuted for French national side in 2001, has made a total of 40 appearances for Les Bleus. The highlights of his international career include winning the Confederations Cup in both 2001 and 2003 and reaching the World Cup Final in 2006.

 

MY YEAR

January

Mikael started both of Arsenal's FA Cup games in January. As well as taking part in the defeat to Stoke City, Mikael captained the side to a 2-1 victory at West Ham United in the Third Round.

December

Mikael started four games for Arsenal this month and captained youthful Gunners teams against Manchester City and Olympiacos. Arsène Wenger revealed that he will open discussions about a new contract with Silvestre later in the season. "We have a common agreement to meet in March and see where we go from there," explained the manager.

November

Mikael was a second-half substitute in the 2-0 win over Standard Liege in November. The victory confirmed Arsenal's progression to the Champions League Knockout Stages as Group H winners and Mikael said he was proud of the team's performance in the competition so far. "We have seen Liverpool go out and Barcelona are struggling,” he said. “I think our group was well-balanced and we made a good campaign so we are proud of that."

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