João Pedro Pereira Silva

 
Coming a week after the acquisition of Jermaine Beckford on a free transfer from Leeds United, João Silva was David Moyes's third acquisition of the 2010 close season, coming from CD Aves after he bagged an impressive 14 goals durng his first full campaign in the Portuguese second tier Liga de Honra.

Like Beckford and goalkeeper Jan Mucha, the Portuguese striker signed a pre-contract agreement with Everton a few weeks prior to finalizing his move to Goodison but, after the deal was initially reported by the media as done in April, was finally unveiled by the club on 9 June.

An unknown in England — apart from the obligatory YouTube footage — Silva is apparently highly rated in his home country where some have dubbed him "the new Pauleta." Yet to earn a full international cap at the time of his arrival at Goodison, the 20 year-old has represented Portugal at U-21 level and finished the 2009-2010 season as the second-top scorer in the Portuguese second division with 14 goals in 32 appearances.

He signed a three-year deal with Everton and though the fee was undisclosed, it is widely believed that the Blues paid around £500,000 for him. Strictly, he becomes the second "João Silva" to play for the club — his Brazilian namesake went by the monicker Jô — but promises to be a more physical presence than the powder-puff ex-Manchester City man.

João Silva went on Everton's much-hyped pre-season tour of Australia in 2010, but ended up sitting out all three games downunder on the subs bench. 

However, as the season progressed, his appearances in the Reserves became rarer and in January 2011, Silva returned to Portugal on loan with Uniao Desportiva de Leiria until the end of the season, where he scored four goals in 12 games, last term before taking him back to Goodison Park in the summer. 

He returned, however, for pre-season 2011, but only got games in the Reserves on their trip to Moscow to play in the Lev Yashin Cup against Freiburg and Dinamo Moscow.

With no new incoming players to freshen up the squad, and inspite of the questionable form of the remaining strikers, plus the ever-present risk of injuries, David Moyes agreed (or was perhaps forced by fiscal considerations?) to loan him out to Vitória de Setúbal of the Primeira Liga back in his homeland for the entire 2011-12 season.

Silva is tied into a three-year deal at Everton, but claimed in September 2011 that he will look for a permanent move elsewhere if David Moyes continues to overlook him.

"I will consider leaving Everton if I receive assurances of first-team football elsewhere," he said.

"Everton are a big club but I need playing time and a club that has confidence in me and gives me opportunities." 

Stangely, he reappeared in England for an Everton Reserves game in February, and it turned out that he had been recalled from his season-long loan in Portugal at the end of January, apparently in a move to cover for the surprise loss of misfiring striker Lous Saha to Tottenham Hotspur on the last day of the transfer window.

By Michael Kenrick
Last updated February 2012