David Josué Jiménez Silva (Spanish pronunciation: [daˈβið xoˈswe xiˈmeneθ ˈsilβa]; born 8 January 1986) is a Spanish footballer who plays for Manchester City and the Spanish national team. Silva plays mainly as an attacking midfielder but has also played as a winger or a second striker on some occasions. Silva is known for his passing, vision, and dribbling ability being described by pundits as “The best playmaker in the league”.
A Spanish international since the age of 20, he was an integral member of the squads that won three consecutive international tournaments — UEFA Euro 2008, 2010 FIFA World Cup, and UEFA Euro 2012 — the first time a European team has achieved such a feat.
Silva spent six years of his professional career with Valencia CF, appearing in more than 150 games and winning one Copa del Rey in 2008, before moving in the summer of 2010 to Manchester City. His passing ability and possession-retaining qualities have earned him the nickname "Merlin" from his teammates.[2][3] Since joining City, Silva has appeared in over 100 games in two seasons, winning the FA Cup and Premier League.
Early Life
Silva was born in Arguineguín, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, to Fernando Jiménez, a former municipal police officer who eventually was responsible for the safety of the Valencia CF stadium, and Eva Silva. His father, Fernando, is Canarian while his mother, Eva, is of Japanese descent, claimed by the Canarian media.[4][5] Silva has two younger siblings, sister Natalia and brother Nando[citation needed]. He is commonly called by the nickname Chino (Spanish for "Chinese") due to his physical appearance.[citation needed]
Silva began playing football in the youth team of UD San Fernando, near Maspalomas. Originally, he played as a goalkeeper, before becoming a winger[6] and mirrored his game around his footballing idol as a youth, Michael Laudrup.[6] When he was 14, he received an offer to become a youth player at Valencia CF, which he accepted. He stayed in Valencia's youth set-up until he was 17.
