MIKAEL SILVESTRE

CLUBS

1996-98 Rennes

1998-99 Inter

1999-2008 Manchester United

2008-10 Arsenal

2010-12 Werder Bremen

2013-14 Portland Timbers

2014 Chennaiyin

COUNTRY

2001-06 France

The task that FourFourTwo has given Mikael Silvestre is a simple one. Or so we thought. “I’m struggling to choose a best XI of my team-mates,” he says, sighing. “Even my bench is crazy... it’s impossible. I can make two teams.”

To be fair to Silvestre, even that is a tad cautious. For strikers alone, he can pick from Ronaldo, Cristiano Ronaldo, Thierry Henry, Nicolas Anelka, David Trezeguet, Dwight Yorke, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Andy Cole, Robin van Persie, Carlos Tevez and Wayne Rooney. Not bad.

It reflects well on the defender who turned out for Inter, Manchester United, Arsenal and France. He won 40 caps for Les Bleus, and lifted the FA Cup, League Cup, Champions League and four league titles in nine seasons at United.

Silvestre wrapped up his playing career in India alongside Alessandro Nesta and Marco Materazzi. But it all started back in Saint-Pierre-des-Corps, where he played for his local team before joining Tours – who also netted one Patrick Vieira. The young duo never played together in the first team, however, as Tours went into administration and each left to make it elsewhere. Suffice to say, both players did fine in the end: no wonder Silvestre is cheerful as he answers your queries...

What was Rennes like as a place to come through the academy?

Leo Johnston, Salisbury

It was very good. I was put in a boarding school where I stayed with other youth players. I had the best time there – we had so much fun and I met some of my best friends. Two of them also became professionals: Ousmane Dabo [later of Manchester City] and Ludovic Roy.

After three years, I broke into the first team. It was so exciting, but with a lot of pressure, because we were playing to stay in Ligue 1. You’re young and don’t want to make any mistakes. In the end, we avoided the drop in each of my two seasons there. The second year, we had to beat Toulouse on the final day of the season to survive, and I got the assist for our only goal in a 1-0 victory. It was such a relief – we did a lap of honour to celebrate with the supporters. It was like winning my first trophy.

Ronaldo, Baggio, Zanetti, Simeone and Djorkaeff... what was it like to sign for Inter in 1998 when you were only just turning 21?

Stefan Holland, Exeter

I found out a year in advance that I was moving to Inter with Ousmane [Dabo]. I