Willian is a Brazilian professional footballer known for playing under successful football clubs like Shakhtar Donetsk , Anzhi Makhachkala , and Chelsea FC . He has done endorsement work for numerous brands such as Xbox and Nike . He has a huge social media following with more than 7 million followers on Instagram, more than 3 million followers on Twitter and more than 6 million followers on Facebook.

Born name

Willian Borges da Silva

nickname

Willian

Sun sign

Lion

Place of birth

Ribeirão Pires, Sao Paulo, Brasilien

Residence

London, England, United Kingdom

nationality

training

Willian received his football education at the youth academy of Brazilian powerhouse Corinthians .

occupation

Professional soccer player

family

• Father – Servino da Silva (He sold car parts)
• Mother – Maria Jose Borges (She died in October 2016 at the age of 57 after a long battle with cancer)
• Siblings – Michele da Silva (sister)

Manager

Willian is represented by Kia Joorabchian.

Position

Winger, attacking midfielder

Shirt Number

10 – Shakhtar Donetsk, Anzhi Makhachkala

22 – FC Chelsea

19 – Brazil

Build

Athletic

Height

5 feet 8½ inches or 174 cm

weight

73 kg

girlfriend/spouse

Willian dated –

1. Vanessa Martins (2011-Present) – Willians met his wife Vanessa Martins when he was 21 years old. He had met her on vacation in São Paulo during a break from football. They married in 2011 in a small and intimate wedding ceremony. During the course of their marriage, they became parents to twin daughters, Manuella and Valentina.

race/ethnicity

Latino

He is of Brazilian descent.

hair colour

Schwarz

eye color

dark brown

sexual orientation

Just

distinguishing features

• Afro hairstyle
• Strong and defined jaw

brand promotion

• Willian has a personal endorsement deal with Nike and it requires him to wear their cleats during his matches.
• He has also appeared in a TV commercial for Xbox along with Marcus Rashford .
• He has also used his social media activity to promote products and brands such as Sprayground (backpack brand).

Religion

Christianity

Known for

• His successful stint with Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk . He won 4 Ukrainian Premier League titles as well as 3 Ukrainian Cups with the team.
• Be registered with Chelsea FC . In his third season at the club, he was named Chelsea Player of the Year and Chelsea Player of the Year.

First football game

• In 2006 he made his professional debut with Brazilian club Corinthians. In the following season he had his breakthrough.
• In September 2007 he made his debut for Shakhtar Donetsk in their 2–1 win over Chornomorets Odessa . He came as a replacement for fellow Brazilian Jadson.
• In September 2013 he made his first competitive debut for Chelsea FC in a Champions League match against Basel . His team lost the match 2-1.
• In November 2011, Willian made his first appearance for Brazil national team in a friendly match against Gabon.

Strengthen

• speed
• acceleration
• agility
• Technical ability
• persistence
• creativity
• Vision
• Direct gameplay

weaknesses

Sometimes he shows inconsistency.

first movie

He hasn’t appeared in any movies yet.

First TV show

In 2016, Willian made his first TV show appearance on the sports show, End Score .

Personal trainer

Willian isn’t a fan of working his upper body, and doesn’t bother with strength exercises. He also dislikes interval training, which is very popular among soccer players. However, he is obsessed with improving his core strength as it supports his explosive style of play and reduces the risk of injury. He goes to the gym at least once or twice a week to work his abs, lower back and hips.

Willian also makes sure he eats a balanced diet to complement his fitness regime. He tries to eat everything including carbohydrates in the form of pasta, fresh vegetables and meat. To aid his recovery, he makes sure he gets enough sleep.

Willian favorite things

• Childhood idols – Ronaldo and Zidane

Williams facts

1. In his interview, he claimed that if he hadn’t become a football player, he would have liked to be a musician.
2. Willian was picked up by the Corinthians when he was 9 years old. He had played for a local team against their youth team and they were impressed.
3. In August 2007, he moved to Europe after signing a 5-year deal with Shakhtar Donetsk They paid Corinthians 14 million euros for his transfer.
4. In January 2013 he signed with Anzhi Makhachkala when they bought him for 35 million euros. However, he only stayed with them for 6 months when they sold him to Chelsea after Anzhi decided to restructure the entire club and release expensive players.
5. He was also present under Jose Mourinho in the past and Chelsea went on to win the English Premier League with ease in the 2014-15 season. He played 36 of 38 games for the club.
6. In July 2016 Chelsea decided to tie him down with a new 4-year contract. The renewal made him one of the highest paid players at the club.
7. In April 2016, he was named in the infamous Panama Papers , implicating him in the money laundering scandal.
8. In April 2018, he became a co-owner of a restaurant called Babbo . His business partners were his Chelsea teammate David Luiz and agent Joorabchian.
9. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.