Mikaël Silvestre

Mikaël Silvestre
Silvestre in 2015
Personal information
Full name Mikaël Samy Silvestre
Date of birth (1977-08-09) 9 August 1977
Place of birth Chambray-lès-Tours, France
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Defender
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1996–1998 Rennes 55 (0)
1998–1999 Inter Milan 18 (1)
1999–2008 Manchester United 249 (6)
2008–2010 Arsenal 26 (3)
2010–2012 Werder Bremen 27 (1)
2013–2014 Portland Timbers 8 (0)
2014 Chennaiyin 14 (1)
Total 391 (12)
International career
1997 France U20 5 (0)
2001–2006 France 40 (2)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  France
FIFA Confederations Cup
Winner2001
Winner2003
FIFA World Cup
Runner-up2006
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Mikaël Samy Silvestre (born 9 August 1977) is a French former professional footballer who played as a defender. He is best known for a nine-year spell at Manchester United, with whom he won numerous Premier League titles, the FA Cup, the Football League Cup, two FA Community Shields, the Intercontinental Cup and the UEFA Champions League.

Silvestre began his career at Rennes in 1996, before moving to Italian club Inter Milan in 1998. He joined Manchester United in 1999, where he won multiple Premier League titles and the UEFA Champions League in his final season at the club in 2008. He then joined Arsenal, followed by a move to German side Werder Bremen two years later. After a further two years in Germany, he moved to the United States to play for Portland Timbers in Major League Soccer, before signing for Indian Super League side Chennaiyin in 2014, where he retired at the end of the season.

Silvestre has also played for the France national team, earning 40 caps between 2001 and 2006. He was part of the France team that won the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2001 and 2003. Silvestre also represented his country at UEFA Euro 2004, as well as two FIFA World Cups in 2002 and 2006, winning a runners-up medal at the latter.