Biography
Who is Denílson Pereira Neves?
Early life and background
Denílson Pereira Neves was born in São Paulo, Brazil, on February 16, 1988. He grew up as the second of four sons born to José Neves and Luciene Pereira. His father José worked as a former midfielder in Northeast Brazil before he had to quit playing to support his family.
Denílson and his family lived through extreme poverty in the dangerous favelas of São Paulo. Many of his childhood friends passed away due to involvement in the local drug trade during his youth.
Club career highlights
Denílson started his professional career at São Paulo, winning the Copa Libertadores and the FIFA Club World Cup in 2005. He later joined the English club Arsenal in August 2006 for a fee of £3.4 million, choosing 15 as his shirt number. During his time with Arsenal, he scored multiple goals and played regularly in the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League, reaching a total of one hundred appearances for the club.
After leaving Arsenal, Denílson returned to São Paulo on loan for the 2011–12 season. He later joined Al Wahda in the summer of 2015, where he won the UAE League Cup in 2016. Throughout his career, he also played for Cruzeiro, Botafogo-SP, and Maltese club Sliema Wanderers.
International career and height
Denílson represented his home country at various junior levels and served as a youth captain for Brazil beginning with the under-15 squad. He also captained the under-17 team to a runners-up finish at the 2005 FIFA U-17 World Championship and received a senior team call-up in November 2006.
Standing at a height of 179 cm, Denílson primarily featured as a central midfielder and occasionally played as a defensive midfielder. He was described by people around him as very quiet and polite.
Birthday and age
Denílson Pereira Neves was born on February 16, 1988, which makes Denílson 38 years old today. That birthday falls under the Aquarius sign. Denílson shares the date with 33 other famous people.
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