Denilson: I owed so much to Gilberto
October 25, 2008
In an amazing article by The Sun, Denilson talks about his childhood, and notably about his relationship with Gilberto Silva:
“It was not easy for me at first. I came to England at 18 and really struggled to settle in. I was living alone, knew no one, could not speak the language and the weather was so cold.
“Everything was so different to back home in Brazil. I owed so much to Gilberto Silva. He was amazing.
“Even though he is older than me, he was always there for me with good advice and friendship.â€
Search the internet and it is not difficult to find footage of a sheepish Denilson singing and dancing as Gilberto and fellow Brazilian Julio Baptista play the banjo.
Denilson, who has started 13 games in Europe and the Premier League this season, added: “All the other players think it’s very funny.
“They all say to me, ‘I’ve seen you dancing’.
“I was sad to see Gilberto leave Arsenal at the start of the season because he is such a good friend.
“But, at the same time, I was also excited because I knew that with Gilberto, Mathieu Flamini and Alex Hleb all going it was a great opportunity for me.