Mikael Silvestre profile
Name
Mikael Silvestre
Born
August 09, 1977
Chambray-les-Tours, France
Position
Defender
Squad Number
18
Previous Club(s)
Rennes
Inter Milan
Manchester United
Joined Arsenal
August 20, 2008
Arsenal Debut
Everton (h)
Premier League
October 18, 2008
Won 3-1
First Arsenal Goal
Tottenham H. (h)
Premier League
October 29, 2008
Drew 4-4
The French defender joined Arsenal on a two-year deal from Manchester United for an undisclosed fee in August 2008.
Silvestre, 31, an experienced and versatile player, 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. Silvestre was also part of the UEFA Champions League winning side of 2008 and made a total of 361 appearances for the Manchester side, scoring 10 goals.
Silvestre, who debuted for French national side in 2001, had made a total of 40 appearances for Les Bleus when he joined Arsenal. Highlights of his international career so far are winning the Confederations Cup in both 2001 and 2003 and reaching the World Cup Final in 2006.
After signing the player, Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger said: “We have a strong squad but a young squad and Mikael’s versatility, experience and calibre will provide the extra depth we need to reinforce our challenge for honours this season. His defensive adaptability will serve us well and it’s a big plus that Mikael has top level experience and a great understanding of football in the Premier League.”
MY YEAR
October
October was a massive month for Mikael as he made his long-awaited Arsenal debut. The Frenchman stepped in for the injured William Gallas against Everton on October 18 and retained his place in the heart of the Gunners defence against Fenerbahce, West Ham and Tottenham. The Frenchman wasted no time in opening his goalscoring account for his new club when he rose to head home a Robin van Persie corner against Tottenham.
September
Mikael’s muscular problem had put paid to any competitive action since his August transfer from Manchester United but September saw the versatile Frenchman’s return from injury. Although he did not appear for the Gunners, the 31-year-old was among the substitutes for the final September matches against Hull City and FC Porto.
August
The Frenchman’s swapped the red of Manchester United for Arsenal in August but injury kept him on the sidelines. The experienced centre-half continued his rehabilitation and is likely to feature towards the end of September. Also many happy returns to Mikael, who turned 31 on the 9th.
18. Mikael Silvestre - Full Arsenal Record
| Prem Lge | Europe | FA Cup | Lge Cup | C. Shield | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Ap | Gl | Ap | Gl | Ap | Gl | Ap | Gl | Ap | Gl | Ap | Gl |
| 2008-2009 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 |
| Totals | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 |
Key:
- Prem Lge = Barclays Premier League
- C. Shield = Community Shield
- Europe = UEFA Champions League
- Ap = Appearances
- FA Cup = FA Cup sponsored by E-on
- Gl = Goals Scored
- Lge Cup = Carling Cup
Mikael Silvestre - News
-
Thu, Nov 20, 2008
Silvestre - My future management aspirations -
Thu, Nov 6, 2008
Wenger to 'gamble' on Silvestre for Man Utd -
Fri, Oct 31, 2008
Silvestre - We will bounce back against Stoke -
Wed, Oct 22, 2008
Silvestre - We coped well with the atmosphere -
Tue, Oct 21, 2008
Wenger - Silvestre is our defensive leader -
Fri, Oct 17, 2008
Wenger - Silvestre gives us something extra -
Thu, Oct 9, 2008
Silvestre - I still want to play for France -
Tue, Oct 7, 2008
Silvestre - It was a 'perfect run-out' for me -
Fri, Oct 3, 2008
TV Online: Silvestre pre-Sunderland exclusive -
Thu, Sep 25, 2008
Clichy fit for Hull, Silvestre also available
