Player Profile: David Luiz  Full name: David Luiz Moreira Marinho
Position: DefenderDate of Birth: 22 April 1987Birthplace: Salvador, Brazil David Luiz shot from almost complete obscurity to become a Benfica mainstay in a matter of weeks at the tail end of the 2006/07 season. As well as his considerable height and robust build, which he is not averse to throwing around when need be, it is his ability to move the ball with grace and ease that has led many to predict a brilliant future for the young Brazilian.
Low profile
However, the centre-back is not one of those players who the press are constantly salivating over as Brazil’s next big thing. He has not received anything like the attention currently being afforded to recent Manchester United signing, Anderson, but that is just fine for the powerful defender and his club, Benfica. They both know how good a player he is.
Luiz’s first year at the modest Vitoria de Bahia was memorable as he won the Bahia State Championship. Over the following two years Luiz cemented his place in the starting XI making 47 appearances and scoring 7 goals.
Benfica took a chance on him in the January transfer window of 2007, but most believed Luiz was a hasty signing to provide quick cover for Ricardo Rocha who had just been sold to Tottenham Hotspur.
The deal left many of the Benfica faithful questionning why the club would sell a proven player and replace him with a virtual unknown from the Brazilian backwaters, who many expected would crumble under pressure of the high-paced European game.
Baptism of fire
Luiz would have the chance to answer those questions sooner than anyone thought when Benfica faced Paris-Saint Germain at a packed Parc des Princes in the Round of Sixteen of the Uefa Cup.
Replacing the injured Luisao midway through the first half, a nervy first five minutes saw Benfica concede two quick goals and some fans feared the worse. But Luiz showed his character by growing in stature as the match went on to finish a debut played in difficult circumstances with a highly promising display.
Luisao’s injury would keep the Brazil international out for the rest of the season, and the ease and assurance with which Luiz stepped into the first team astounded all onlookers. Each and every game Luiz gained more confidence to such an extent that at the end of the season he had categorically proved himself as one of the best central defenders in the whole of Portugal, let alone in Benfica’s squad.
The Eagles responded quickly and tied him down to a five-year deal, including a 20 million euros buyout clause. Should Luiz make similar strides in future seasons Benfica will have captured a giant of a player.
by Marco Pereira (08/06/2007) | Club | Appearances* | Goals |
|---|
| EC Vitoria | 47 | 7 | | Benfica** | 24 | 1 |
* League appearances only ** Up to 1 March 2009 |
by
nikhil kunjimon
pls reply
AND I MUST MENTION THAT ROMAN ABROMOVICH AND
HIS MANAGER REALLY MADE A GOOD CHOICE IN AS FAR AS SIGNING OF TH DEFENDER IS CONCERNED.
HEY,,,,,,,,,,,,, TO ALL CHELSEA FUNS,BE PROUD AND KEEP THAT PRIDE FOR WE HAVE THE BEST WHICH OTHERS CAN NEVER LAY THERE HANDS ON