Whatever happened to Arsenal’s little Brazilian?

Born 16 February 1988 in Sao Paulo, his football career began with his hometown club. His preferred position was defensive-midfield. After impressing with his performances for Sao Paulo, the Brazilian joined Arsenal in 2006.

Denilson ended up playing over 150 times for the club and scoring 10 goals; he was technically gifted especially with short passes. From 2006-2013 he played for the Gunners, in 2011 he was sent out on loan back to Sao Paulo. In the summer of 2013 he signed a four-year contract with his hometown club and he has been there ever since.

This talented Brazilian had previously played for every stage of the youth national set-up from the under 15s up until under 19s; he is yet to play for the Brazilian national side, although he was an unused substitute back in 2006 for a friendly.

Denilson had a big impact on the team between 2008 and 2010, after the departures of Gilberto, Flamini and Diarra. But in 2010 injuries and Jack Wilshere’s emergence led to limited appearances for him. This lack of first-team action led to him going back to his boyhood club in Brazil.

Even though he had two good seasons for Arsenal he arguably was a disappointment for this club. His potential was obvious but he did not quite perform consistently for the Gunners.