It was nearly so very different.
With supreme consistency and efficiency, Thiago Silva has matured into one of the best defenders in Serie A. Almost always among the better performers in any match, he has quickly become a vital component of the Milan defence. In the most difficult moments of the season, the 25 year-old Brazilian has shown the character and technical skills long associated with illustrious predecessors in the Rossoneri back-line such as Paolo Maldini and Franco Baresi.
He allies that with a determination and fighting spirit matched at San Siro by iconic players such Gennaro Gattuso and Giovanni Trapattoni. That indomitable will probably comes from a difficult experience in his recent past which many may not be aware of.
After training with Fluminense but not being retained he joined RS Futebol and then quickly moved to nearby Juventude. By this time the former winger, who had switched first to central midfield and then full-back, had been converted into a centre-back. After an excellent debut season he attracted FC Porto, who in turn sold him to Dynamo Moscow. However, illness would prevent him from making an appearance (though he did feature in Porto's B side) for either club and concerns were raised over his long-term health.
Aged just twenty, and having travelled a classic route to launch a successful career, it almost suddenly transformed in the worst of nightmares. Thiago was diagnosed with tuberculosis in January 2005 and, after a long struggle, he and his family had to decide whether to operate and face the risk of losing a lung. This would have obviously meant saying farewell to football on a permanent basis. Through a combination of pills, injections and hard work, he eventually overcame the disease, as he told 'Na Estrada com Galvão';
"I defeated tuberculosis, I almost had to leave football but I did it. I was in hospital for six months, twenty pounds underweight. In Russia in solitary confinement with a contagious illness, I could not see anyone all day and did not talk to anyone."
Eventually he returned to Brazil to rebuild his career with the club who previously showed no faith in him, Fluminense. Despite not having set foot on a pitch in over twelve months, he would help the side finish fourth in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, conceding only 39 goals in 38 games and winning the Copa do Brasil. After two more impressive seasons - playing a combined 146 games over the three years - Europe's top clubs came calling once more.
In December 2008 Thiago signed for Milan for a €10 million fee but, due to limits on non-EU players, he would not play until the following season. Here however is a key reason he believes he has excelled in Italian football. Alessandro Nesta was injured throughout that six month period and the two struck up a bond, forged while watching countless games from the stands. That relationship that is clearly evident every time they step out in tandem for the Rossoneri as Thiago told Sky Italia;
"Nesta is without doubt one of the best players that I have ever played with, I feel perfectly at ease with him, making me very confident when taking to the field. I feel that this partnership of ours will be beneficial for Milan for a long time yet."
In the beginning Nesta would guide his younger partner, but in this past season Silva has become the more vital player, perhaps the one man Massimiliano Allegri's new-look side cannot afford to lose. He has a great ability to read the game, with 73 interceptions last season, excellent technique and is composed on the ball. He possesses great leadership skills and also has explosive speed, allowing him to recover should he or a team-mate be found out of position.
Thiago won almost 74% of tackles and 79% of aerial duels, making him a seriously difficult opponent to face, a truth born out when recognising that in 33 league games he was booked only once, while Milan conceded just eighteen times in those games (an average of 0.54 per game). Also worthy of mention is that in the five Serie A games he missed, the team allowed six goals (1.2pg).
Another point of note came during a mid-season injury crisis when the Rossoneri were without a number of midfielders, forcing coach Allegri to reach into both the club and the players past. Echoing Marcel Desailly in the days when Fabio Capello led Milan, as well as the early years of Thiago's career, the central defender would step forward into midfield and, much like the Frenchman before him, he would excel.
The switch had real merit - Milan won 2-0 against an awkward Cesena side, and it would have been interesting to see it continue had better options in defence have been open to Allegri. Next season the former Cagliari tactician will have Phillipe Mexes available to field alongside Nesta, allowing his experiment to continue should he so wish.
While he completed the second highest number of passes in the league (1981 at a staggering 92% completion rate) making him seem almost ideal for the role, it is clear his future lies in defence. There he has enormous qualities, displaying characteristics that no other Milan defender has. There Thiago Silva can become one of the most complete players in the world.
It was nearly so very different.
