This article is about the Arsenal player. For the Hertha Berlin player, real name Gilberto da Silva Melo, (born April 25, 1976 in Rio de Janeiro) see Gilberto.

Gilberto Aparecido da Silva (born October 7, 1976 in Lagoa da Prata, Brazil) is a Brazilian national football player who plays for Arsenal as a midfielder.

As a child, Gilberto lived with his father (a metalworker), his mother (a housewife) and his sister. In 1988 (aged 12), he joined América-MG. In 1993, his father retired, leaving Gilberto to provide for his family. He quit football to work in a sweet factory. He earned £50 a month by today's rates.

In 1996, his friends convinced him to give football another try. He rejoined América-MG, and played in central defence. In his first season, he helped them win Série B. He was a key player, but some fans criticised him for being inconsistent.

In 2000, Gilberto joined Atlético Mineiro. In his first season, he fractured his right tibia and didn't play many games. In his second season, he was played in a defensive midfield role by coach Carlos Alberto Parreira. It was in this position that Gilberto became a star player for Atlético Mineiro.

In 2002, Gilberto was a surprise inclusion in the Brazil team for the

. He played in every match of the tournament, including the final. In the words of Veja magazine, Gilberto "carried the piano for Ronaldo and Rivaldo to play their tunes on". Gilberto's performance in

caught the attention of many coaches. Arsenal and Aston Villa led the chase to sign him. After a summer of speculation, Gilberto joined Arsenal on August 7, 2002 for £4.5million.

Gilberto made his Arsenal debut as a substitute in the second half of the FA Community Shield against Liverpool, scoring the winning goal but also receiving a yellow card for a misdemeanour during the match.

In 2002-03, Gilberto became a regular in the Arsenal side, and won an FA Cup winner's medal. On September 25, 2002, he managed to set a record for the fastest goal in the UEFA Champions League, scoring after 19.4 seconds against PSV Eindhoven.

2003-04 was an even better season for Gilberto, as Arsenal won the FA Premier League title undefeated; he played in 32 of Arsenal's 38-match unbeaten run. However, he injured his back at start of the 2004-05 season and was out for several months; he made a return late in the season and helped Arsenal reach runners-up place in the Premiership and win the FA Cup against Manchester United, 5-4 on penalties.

Silva is often called "the invisible wall" (or "volante") in Brazil. This is because his play often goes unnoticed, as he positions himself very deep in the midfield, breaking up opposition attacks before they gather momentum. In this role, he is the first line of defence for both club and country. As Arsenal and Brazil are both notoriously attack minded, he offers cover for attacking wing-backs and other midfielders, such as Robert Pirès, who have a poor record of dropping back to help the defence.

• World Cup - 2002
• Confederations Cup: 2005

• Série B: 1997
• Minas Gerais State League: 2000
• FA Community Shield: 2002, 2004, 2005
• FA Cup: 2003, 2005
• FA Premier League: 2004

• Unofficial Gilberto Silva Fan Website
• All about Gilberto on sambafoot.com

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