Gilberto da Silva Melo

:for|other people named Gilberto|Gilberto

Football player infobox
playername = Gilberto


fullname = Gilberto da Silva Melo
height = height|meter=1.80
nickname =
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1976|4|25
cityofbirth = Rio de Janeiro
countryofbirth = Brazil
currentclub = Tottenham Hotspur
clubnumber = 11
position = Left midfielder / Left back
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 1993–1995
1996–1998
1998–1999
1999–2000
2000–2001
2002–2003
2003–2004
2004–2008
2008–
clubs = América FC
Flamengo
Cruzeiro
Internazionale
Vasco da Gama
Grêmio
São Caetano
Hertha Berlin
Tottenham Hotspur
caps(goals) = 044 0(4)
067 0(2)
025 0(3)
002 0(0)
040 0(6)
054 0(9)
006 0(0)
101 (14)
006 0(1)
nationalyears = 2003–
nationalteam = Brazil
nationalcaps(goals) = 024 0(1)
pcupdate = 21:39, 27 May 2008 (UTC)
ntupdate = 16 July, 2007

Gilberto, full name Gilberto da Silva Melo, (born April 25, 1976 in Rio de Janeiro) is a football player from Brazil.

Gilberto is a midfielder with Tottenham Hotspur and the Brazilian national team, although he has played left back for the majority of his career. Gilberto's brothers, Nélio and Nildeson de Mello, are also football players.

Career

Club career

Having started his career in his native Brazil, playing for América FC, Flamengo and Cruzeiro, Ronaldo recommended him to Italian Serie A club Inter, who responded by buying him. However, he soon left for Vasco da Gama. After spells with Grêmio and São Caetano, Gilberto returned to Europe in 2004 with Hertha BSC Berlin.

Gilberto signed for Tottenham Hotspur from Hertha on 31 January 2008. [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/t/tottenham_hotspur/7202667.stm|title=Tottenham sign defender Gilberto|publisher=BBC Sport|date=2008-01-31|accessdate=2008-02-03] After an initial period out injured, [cite news|url=http://sports.setanta.com/en/Sport/News/Football/2008/02/20/Carling-Cup-Gilberto-targets-final-start/?facets/sport-space/ireland-locale/football/|title=King hails magic Juande|author=Tom Adams|publisher=Setanta Sports|date=2008-02-20|accessdate=2008-02-24] he made his Spurs debut against PSV Eindhoven in the UEFA Cup on 6 March 2008, [cite news|url=http://www.sportbox.tv/football/news/story.php?id=261224|title=Gilberto set for Spurs debut|publisher=Sportbox.tv|date=2008-03-06|accessdate=2008-03-06] but was replaced by Jamie O'Hara at half-time, after he had made a mistake that allowed PSV to score the game's only goal. [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/7272701.stm|author=Sam Lyon|title=Tottenham 0-1 PSV|publisher=BBC Sport|date=2008-03-06|accessdate=2008-03-06] Spurs manager Juande Ramos stated after the match that Gilberto was substituted not because of the error, but rather because he is still recovering from his calf injury. [cite news|url=http://ukpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5goPAqPBILCQ59x0uL0CQ171e7S1A|title=Ramos plays down Gilberto howler|publisher=The Press Association|date=2008-03-07|accessdate=2008-03-07] Nevertheless, in playing, he became the first Brazilian to play for Spurs at first-team level, with their previous Brazilian players Rodrigo Defendi and Diego Bortolozzo only featuring in the reserve team. [cite news|url=http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/articles/gilbertospride.html|title=Gilberto's pride|publisher=Tottenham Hotspur|date=2008-02-01|accessdate=2008-02-03] In Spurs' next game, Gilberto came on as a substitute to score the team's third goal in a 4-0 win over West Ham United in the Premier League. [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/7272611.stm|title=Tottenham 4-0 West Ham|author=Saj Chowdhury|publisher=BBC Sport|date=2008-03-09|accessdate=2008-03-09]

Gilberto played his first full Spurs match against Bolton Wanderers at White Hart Lane on 26th April 2008.

International career

He played for Brazil in the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany and scored against Japan in the group stages, [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/world_cup_2006/4853416.stm |title=Japan 1-4 Brazil|publisher=BBC Sport|date=2006-06-22|accessdate=2008-02-03] his first goal for the national side, having made his debut for the team against Nigeria on 11 June2003. Gilbeto also featured as Brazil's first choice left back in the Copa America 2007

Honours

Club

Flamengo
*Rio State Championship: 1996
*CONMEBOL Copa Oro: 1996

Cruzeiro
*Minas Gerais State Championship: 1998

Vasco da Gama
*Brazilian National Championship: 2000
*Mercosur Cup: 2000

São Caetano
*São Paulo State Championship: 2004

International

Brazil
*FIFA Confederations Cup: 2005
*Copa América: 2007

References

External links

*FIFA player|176534|Gilberto
*soccerbase|id=35294|name=Gilberto da Silva Melo