Name: Danilo Luiz da Silva
Born: July 15, 1991, in Bicas, Brazil
Position: Right fullback
Pro club: FC Porto
Why is he in the news?
Real Madrid announced Wednesday that it has signed Danilo to a six-year deal starting next season. Los blancos paid Portuguese side FC Porto a whopping $34,000,000 transfer fee to procure the Brazilian right back.
He’s special because
Only 23, Danilo is considered one of the brightest young stars in Brazilian soccer, marrying quickness and great technical skill with a natural athleticism. The energetic Danilo loves to bomb forward in attack—he’s been compared to fellow Brazilian right fullback Dani Alves—and can also play in central midfield.
Also, Danilo becomes the latest defender that Porto has sold on for a big profit:
Club career
Danilo joined America Mineiro’s youth team as a youngster and eventually worked his way up to the senior team, helping the side win the Campeonato Brasileno de Serie C (third tier) title.
Danilo’s star was on the rise and Santos took notice, as they signed him in 2010. It was at Santos that he really broke out, combining with Neymar in helping the club win the Campeonato Paulista and Copa Libertadores in 2011.
Like a lot of Brazilian stars playing at home, Danilo made the move to Europe when he joined FC Porto in 2012 for 13 million euros—the club’s second most expensive signing at the time.
This season at Porto, Danilo has four goals and four assists in 34 appearances. In total he has played 134 times for Porto, registering 10 goals.
Now, he’ll take off for Real Madrid in the summer where he will have to displace the reliable Dani Carvajal as the club’s starting right fullback.
International career
Danilo was a starter for his country at the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Colombia, scoring one goal en route to helping his country win the tournament for a fifth time. He was also a member of the Brazilian side that won a silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics.
At the age of 20, Danilo made his debut for the Brazilian senior team in a game against Argentina in 2011. He has since gone on to earn 13 caps for his country, last appearing for Brazil in a 1-0 win over Chile this past Sunday.
His most famous moment
He scored the winning goal in Santos’ 2-1 win against Uruguayan side Penarol in the 2011 Copa Libertadores final.
Here’s an interesting fact
He was a very close friend of Neymar’s when they played together at Santos.
He said it
“I am most happy playing in the middle of the park. I like to play close to the goal.”
What they’re saying about him
“Danilo is a right-back who covers a lot of ground, quick, technical and hits the ball well. These qualities are enhanced by a spectacular physique, making him a danger in attack.” – Real Madrid press release
“His way of playing infects the others. He has physical strength that impresses, a bit like Maicon. He does not stop running and always seems fresh.” – Brazil manager Dunga
“This year he has wanted to learn how to improve in all of the aspects of play, in the tactics, in the physical (side of things), in concentration. This individual improvement has helped the team grow collectively.” – Porto manager Julen Lopetegui
Soccer Central podcast: SPORTSNET.CA’s Soccer Central podcast, hosted by John Molinaro and James Sharman, takes an in-depth look at the beautiful game and offers timely and thoughtful analysis on the sport’s biggest issues. To listen and subscribe to the podcast, CLICK HERE.
