Fleet-footed midfielder who has established himself as one of the world's hottest properties
How things have changed for the tiny playmaker from the same Canarian village as Juan Carlos Valerón. Once rejected by Real Madrid for being too small, in 2008 he rejected the advances of Barcelona despite them making an offer north of €25m in order to stay at Valencia - the club where he started at the age of 13, his father giving up a role as the local bobby for security guard at the club's Paterna training ground. And Barcelona weren't alone, either: Madrid and Liverpool were also rumoured to have been preparing bids.
A fleet-footed visionary, comfortable on either flank or behind the strikers, Silva first really made an impact in Europe when he scored a thumping goal against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the Champions League - the game after he'd scored against Inter at the San Siro. But he had already been noticed in Spain, having played for the national team at U17, U19 and U20 levels. He was a European Champion at U19 level in 2004.
That season, Silva was playing his football on loan at Éibar, that stereotypical school of footballing hard knocks in the Basque Country - an experience that helps to explain how a slight, soft-looking ball player can stand out for being a tough little so-and-so. He helped Éibar to fourth place in the Second Division - their highest-ever finish. But it was when he was on loan at Celta de Vigo in 2005-06 as a 19 year old that he really took a step up. Loan over, Silva returned to Valencia, still only 20, and in two seasons missed just six games.
Top assist provider in 2007-08, he was also a fixture in the Spanish national team, having made his debut in November 2006. It was no coincidence that Silva was missing during Spain's only defeats of the Euro 2008 qualifying campaign, or that the only game he didn't start during the tournament was the final group game against Greece, a match with nothing riding on it. Injury saw him miss out on the first 15 games of 2008-09.