Nélson de Jesus Silva ( Dida )
Name: Nélson de Jesus Silva
Nationality: Brazilian
Date and Place of Birth: Born October 7, 1973 in Irará, Bahia, Brazil
Playing Position: Goalkeeper
Current Club:
AC Milan (Italian Serie A)
Club Career: 1992-1993 Vitoria
1994-1998 Cruzeiro
1998 FC Lugano
1999-2000 Corinthians
2000-present AC Milan
International Career: 1995-2006 Brazil
About Dida:
Nelson de Jesus Silva, more commonly known as “Dida”, is a Brazilian footballer who has succeeded in establishing himself as one of the most talented and successful goalkeepers in world football. Dida began his career at Cruzeiro de Arapiraca and impressed securing a move to Vitoria where his performances earned him a place in Brazil’s U21 national team as the first choice goalkeeper.
Dida moved to Cruzeiro in 1994 and enjoyed success at the club gaining valuable experience along the way playing in major competitions such as the Copa Libertadores. Dida was building up his reputation as an impressive shot stopper providing a reliable pair of hands for club and country alike. Dida’s outstanding performances led to interest from European clubs and in 1999 he joined Italian giants AC Milan.
At AC Milan Dida initially struggled to impose himself as a first team regular and he was loaned out to Corinthians in order to keep him match fit. At Corinthians he stamped his authority as an outstanding penalty stopper and a steady goalkeeper earning him to be called back to Milan for the start of the 2000-01 season. However, Dida was still second choice keeper to Abbiati and things got worse as he admitted to using a fraudulent European passport in an attempt to flout Italian regulations. As a result Dida was banned from playing in Serie A and for his country for one year and also received a seven month suspended prison sentence highlighting the lowest point in his career.
Dida remained in the wings until an Abbiati injury earned him an opportunity to play first team football and prove himself in Serie A. Dida immediately impressed especially with match winning performances in the Champions League, notably in the final when he led Milan to an outstanding victory against Juventus. His efforts earned him the 2003-04 Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year Award and he was widely recognised as one of the best goalkeepers in world football being compared to the likes of Buffon.
Dida is a member of the Brazil national squad and was one of Brazil’s best players in the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
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