Willian Borges Da Silva Brazilian footballer, midfielder Date of Birth: 09.08.1988 Country: Brazil

1. Biography of Willian Borges da Silva
2. Early Career
3. Success at Shakhtar Donetsk
4. Move to Anzhi Makhachkala and Transition to Chelsea
5. International Career
6. Personal Life

Biography of Willian Borges da Silva

Willian Borges da Silva, commonly known as Willian, is a Brazilian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Chelsea Football Club and the Brazilian national team. He was born on August 9, 1988, in Ribeirão Pires, Brazil.

Early Career

Willian began his professional career at Corinthians, a club based in São Paulo, Brazil. He played in 16 matches and scored 2 goals in the Brazilian Championship. In the summer of 2007, he signed with Shakhtar Donetsk, a Ukrainian club led by manager Mircea Lucescu. The transfer fee for his move to Shakhtar Donetsk was €14 million.

Success at Shakhtar Donetsk

At Shakhtar Donetsk, Willian immediately showcased his high level of play and became one of the standout players among the Brazilian contingent at the club. He won the Ukrainian Premier League four times in the seasons 2007/08, 2009/10, 2010/11, and 2011/12 and also won the Ukrainian Cup three times in the seasons 2007/08, 2010/11, and 2011/12. Willian was also a recipient of the Ukrainian Super Cup in 2010 and won the UEFA Cup in 2008/09. In the Ukrainian Premier League, he played in 140 matches and scored 20 goals. He also played in 24 matches in the Ukrainian Cup, scoring 6 goals, and appeared in 1 game in the Ukrainian Youth Championship.

Move to Anzhi Makhachkala and Transition to Chelsea

On February 1, 2013, Willian transferred to Anzhi Makhachkala for €35 million. This transfer became the third most expensive in Russian football history, following the transfers of Hulk and Axel Witsel to Zenit St. Petersburg. According to Sport-Express, his annual salary in the new team was €2.5 million. However, Willian was unable to truly establish himself in Russia due to an injury and Anzhi Makhachkala's change in direction, which led to the club parting ways with the highly paid Brazilian.

On August 25, 2013, it was announced on the official website of Chelsea Football Club that they had reached an agreement with Anzhi Makhachkala for the transfer of Willian. On August 28, he became a Chelsea player, wearing the number 22 jersey. The transfer fee for his move to Chelsea was £30 million. Gradually, Willian secured his place in Chelsea's starting lineup and became one of the team's leaders. In 2016, he was named the Player of the Year at Chelsea.

International Career

Willian won the South American Under-20 Championship with the Brazilian youth national team in 2007. He played in 8 matches during the tournament. In the same year, he also participated in the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Canada, playing in 3 matches. On October 27, 2011, Willian received a call-up to the Brazilian national team for matches against Gabon and Egypt. He made substitute appearances in both matches.

Personal Life

In the summer of 2011, Willian married Vanesse Martins. His teammate at Shakhtar Donetsk, Jadson, and his wife Renata served as witnesses at the wedding. In February 2012, Willian and Vanesse welcomed the birth of their twin daughters, Valentina and Manuela.