Manu Silva

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Manu Silva
Personal information
Full name Manuel Jorge Silva
Date of birth (2001-06-12) 12 June 2001 (age 24)
Place of birth Santa Maria da Feira, Portugal
Height 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Position Defensive midfielder
Team information
Current team
Benfica
Number 16
Youth career
2009–2012 União de Lamas
2012–2020 Feirense
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2020–2023 Feirense 29 (2)
2023 Vitória Guimarães B 2 (0)
2023–2025 Vitória Guimarães 39 (3)
2025– Benfica 3 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 8 February 2025

Manuel Jorge Silva (born 12 June 2001) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Primeira Liga club Benfica.

Contents

Club career

Silva is a youth product of União de Lamas and Feirense. He was promoted to the senior Feirense side in the summer of 2020. He made his senior and professional debut with Feirense in a 2–0 Liga Portugal 2 loss to Sporting Covilhã on 7 August 2021. [1] On 24 May 2022, he renewed his contract with the club. [2] He transferred to Primeira Liga side Vitória SC on 30 January 2023 until 2027. [3]

On 20 January 2025, Silva joined fellow Primeira Liga club Benfica, signing a contract until June 2030, for a reported transfer fee of €12 million, which could rise to €14 million with add-ons, and Vitória keeping a 20% sell-on fee. [4] Five days later, he made his debut for the Eagles, coming off the bench in the final minutes of a 3–1 league defeat away at Casa Pia. [5] The following week, he started in a 3–2 away victory over Estrela da Amadora. [6] However, on 8 February, in a league clash at Estádio da Luz against Moreirense, Silva suffered a complete anterior cruciate ligamente tear on his left knee, which kept him sidelined for several months. [7]

Personal life

Manu's father, Jorge Silva, was a former footballer in Portugal. [8]

Career statistics

As of match played 8 February 2025 [9]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeague Taça de Portugal Taça da Liga Europe OtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Feirense 2020–21 Liga Portugal 2 100010
2021–22 Liga Portugal 21723010212
2022–23 Liga Portugal 21101000120
Total2924010342
Vitória Guimarães B 2022–23 Liga 3 2020
Vitória Guimarães 2022–23 Primeira Liga 1000000010
2023–24 Primeira Liga23240101 [a] 0292
2024–25 Primeira Liga151201010 [b] 3284
Total3936020113586
Benfica 2024–25 Primeira Liga300000000030
2025–26 Primeira Liga000000000000
Total300000000030
Career total7351003011300978
  1. Appearance in UEFA Europa Conference League
  2. Appearances in UEFA Conference League

References

  1. Group, Global Media (9 August 2021). "Juventude marcada no Feirense: mudança de paradigma até na braçadeira". O Jogo (in Portuguese). Retrieved 20 February 2023.{{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  2. "Manu, jogador oriundo da formação, renova contrato com o Feirense". www.ojogo.pt.
  3. Group, Global Media (30 January 2023). "Manu Silva deixa Feirense e reforça V. Guimarães". O Jogo (in Portuguese). Retrieved 20 February 2023.{{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  4. "Benfica oficializa contratação do médio Manu Silva" [Benfica announces signing of midfielder Manu Silva] (in European Portuguese). Público. 20 January 2025. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
  5. "Faísca inaugural insuficiente para cumprir a missão" [Inaugural spark not enough to complete mission] (in European Portuguese). S.L. Benfica. 26 January 2025. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
  6. "Benfica: Manu Silva reage à estreia" [Benfica: Manu Silva reacts to debut] (in European Portuguese). A Bola. 3 February 2025. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
  7. "Em três minutos, o Benfica perdeu dois jogadores para o resto da época" [In three minutes, Benfica lost two players for the rest of the season] (in European Portuguese). Público. 9 February 2025. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
  8. Group, Global Media (19 November 2021). "Pai quase foi herói frente ao FC Porto e agora está a torcer pelo filho". O Jogo (in Portuguese). Retrieved 20 February 2023.{{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  9. Manu Silva at Soccerway