Birthdate:09 Aug 1977
Birthplace:Chambray-les-Tours, France
Position : Defender
Appearances:358
Goals:10
Joined United:02 Sep 1999
United Debut:11 Sep 1999 v Liverpool (A)
International:France
Mikael Silvestre is one of the most experienced members of Sir Alex Ferguson's squad. In fact, at the end of the 2006/07 season, only four members of the current side had played for United more times.
This impressive record owes much to Mikael's ability to play in two different positions: centre-back and left-back. As such, he's survived the threat posed by new acquisitions and been invaluable to the manager when others have been suspended or injured. In the latter stages of 2005/06, he was the one patrolling Gabriel Heinze's patch on the left flank while new-boy Nemanja Vidic partnered central lynchpin Rio Ferdinand.
The return to left-back, where he'd once been resident, enabled Silvestre to show off some of his attacking skills, including a pinpoint cross for Wayne Rooney's goal against Arsenal in April 2006. He later described that 2-0 win for United as the best match of his career.
"I was up against Alexandr Hleb and Emmanuel Adebayor, but I achieved the objectives I set myself. I had a huge amount of determination. It was a benchmark game for me,†he said.
Silvestre then went to the 2006 World Cup, where he played in France's 2-0 win over Togo.