Eduardo da Silva facts for kids

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In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is Alves and the second or paternal family name is da Silva.

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Eduardo
Personal information
Eduardo with Shakhtar Donetsk in May 2011
Full name	Eduardo Alves da Silva
Date of birth	(1983-02-25) 25 February 1983 (age 42)
Place of birth	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s)	Striker
Youth career
0000–1996	CBF Nova Kennedy
1996–1998	Bangu
1999–2001	Dinamo Zagreb
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2001–2007	Dinamo Zagreb	109	(73)
2001	→ Croatia Sesvete (loan)	5	(2)
2003	→ Inter Zaprešić (loan)	15	(10)
2007–2010	Arsenal	41	(7)
2010–2014	Shakhtar Donetsk	81	(24)
2014–2015	Flamengo	27	(10)
2015–2016	Shakhtar Donetsk	29	(14)
2017	Atlético Paranaense	2	(0)
2018	Legia Warsaw	11	(0)
Total		320	(140)
International career
2004–2005	Croatia U21	12	(8)
2004–2014	Croatia	64	(29)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Eduardo Alves da Silva (born 25 February 1983), known simply as Eduardo or Dudu, is a former professional footballer. He played as a striker for many clubs and for the Croatia national team.

Eduardo started his football journey in Brazil. He later joined Dinamo Zagreb's youth team in Croatia. He spent some time on loan at Inter Zaprešić, where he scored ten goals in 15 games. His amazing goal-scoring at Dinamo Zagreb, where he scored 73 goals in 109 league games, caught the eye of Arsenal. They signed him for about £7.5 million in 2007.

A serious leg injury affected his time with Arsenal. After three seasons, he moved to Shakhtar Donetsk in 2010. Eduardo became a Croatian citizen in 2002. He played his first international game for Croatia in 2004 when he was 21. He was chosen for the UEFA Euro 2012 and the 2014 FIFA World Cup. With 29 goals for Croatia, Eduardo is one of the country's top goal scorers.

Club Career Highlights

Starting Out in Football

Eduardo grew up in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He began playing club football with CBF Nova Kennedy and Bangu Atlético Clube. In September 1999, scouts from Dinamo Zagreb noticed him. He joined their youth team. Eduardo made it to Dinamo's first team in 2001.

After his first team debut, Eduardo was loaned to Inker Zaprešić (now Inter Zaprešić). This was a team in the Croatian second division. He played there in the 2002–03 season. He scored ten goals in 15 league games. This helped him get more experience playing in senior matches.

Shining at Dinamo Zagreb

Eduardo returned to Dinamo Zagreb for the 2003–04 season. He quickly became a key player for the team. He was named the best player in the Croatian league in 2004, 2006, and 2007. He helped Dinamo win two league titles in a row. They also won the Croatian Cup once. In 2006, he scored two goals to help Dinamo win the Croatian Supercup.

In the 2006–07 season, he scored five goals in six European matches. He scored the first European goal at Arsenal's new Emirates Stadium in 2006. Eduardo was amazing in the Croatian championship. He scored 18 goals in 18 games before the winter break. He also made seven assists. He was the only player to start every game.

On 12 May 2007, Eduardo scored his 30th and 31st league goals of the season. This made him the most successful Croatian league goalscorer ever. He broke a 13-year-old record. He finished the season with 34 goals in 32 games. In the final league match, he scored three goals against Hajduk Split. This was the first time a player scored a hat-trick in this big derby game.

Time with Arsenal

On 3 July 2007, Arsenal announced they had agreed to sign Eduardo. The fee was about £7.5 million. He made his Premier League debut on 19 August 2007. This was in a 1–1 draw against Blackburn Rovers. Ten days later, he scored his first goal for Arsenal. This was in a Champions League qualifier.

Eduardo showed his goal-scoring skills in the League Cup. He scored two goals in two matches. He helped Arsenal reach the semi-finals. He started playing more often in the Premier League. This was because Robin van Persie was injured. Eduardo scored his first two Premier League goals on 29 December 2007. This was in a 4–1 win against Everton.

A Difficult Injury

On 23 February 2008, Eduardo suffered a serious leg injury. This happened during a match against Birmingham City. He had surgery right away. His teammate Gilberto Silva helped by translating for him. The injury was very serious. Arsène Wenger, Arsenal's coach, was very upset. Many people believe this injury affected Arsenal's chances of winning the Premier League that season.

Coming Back to Play

Eduardo worked hard to recover. On 16 February 2009, he played again in the FA Cup. He scored a goal and a penalty in that game. He later returned to the Premier League on the first day of the 2009–10 season. He scored Arsenal's sixth goal in a 6–1 victory against Everton.

Later, Eduardo was accused of faking a foul to win a penalty. This happened in a Champions League game against Celtic. UEFA charged him, but the decision was overturned. Arsenal showed video evidence that proved the claim was not clear. Eduardo then scored the winning goal against Standard Liège. In November 2009, he signed a new contract with Arsenal.

Moving to Shakhtar Donetsk

On 21 July 2010, Eduardo signed a four-year contract with Shakhtar Donetsk. The fee was around £6 million. He made his Ukrainian Premier League debut on 7 August 2010. He scored a goal in a 5–0 win. Shakhtar and Arsenal were in the same Champions League group that season.

Eduardo scored his second goal for Shakhtar against Volyn Lutsk. He came on as a substitute and scored the winning goal. He also scored in the Ukrainian Cup. When he returned to the Emirates Stadium to play against Arsenal, the fans gave him a standing ovation. He scored a goal for Shakhtar, and Arsenal fans cheered him again. In the return match, he scored the winning goal but did not celebrate. This showed his respect for his old club.

On 5 April 2014, Eduardo scored two goals for Shakhtar Donetsk. This was in a league game against Karpaty Lviv. He scored with a header and then by slotting the ball into the goal. Shakhtar won the game 3–0.

Playing in Brazil and Poland

On 17 July 2014, Eduardo signed with the Brazilian team Flamengo. He scored his first goal for them on 10 August 2014. On 10 July 2015, he signed a new contract with his old club, Shakhtar Donetsk.

In February 2017, Eduardo went back to Brazil. He signed for Atlético Paranaense. In January 2018, he signed a one-year contract with the Polish club Legia Warsaw. He won the Polish Cup with Legia in the 2017–18 season. Eduardo had some injuries during his time at Legia. He left the club at the end of 2018. He played 14 games for Legia but did not score any goals.

International Career

Early International Games

In 2002, Eduardo became a Croatian citizen. He was first called to play for Croatia's Under-21 team. This was for the 2004 European Under-21 Championship. He played in all three of Croatia's matches. He also scored a goal in his first game against Serbia and Montenegro. He played nine games and scored seven goals in the 2006 European Under-21 Championship qualifiers.

He also started playing for the senior Croatia national football team. His first game was a friendly match against the Republic of Ireland in November 2004. He was 21 years old. He scored his first international goal for Croatia on 1 February 2006. This was in a tournament in Hong Kong. He scored the third goal in a 4–0 win. He was considered for the 2006 World Cup. However, the coach decided not to pick him, saying he was a young player for the future.

Euro 2008 Qualifiers

After the 2006 World Cup, Eduardo returned to the national team. He became a key player in Croatia's journey to qualify for Euro 2008. He scored his first competitive international goal for Croatia on 11 October 2006. This was in a 2–0 home win against England. He scored with a header. In the next game, he scored three goals against Israel. This helped Croatia win 4–3.

Eduardo was a hero for Croatia in their qualifiers against Estonia. He scored all three goals in their wins. He also scored the only goal in a 1–0 win against Israel. He helped set up a goal in Croatia's famous 3–2 win over England at Wembley. This win meant England did not qualify for Euro 2008. Eduardo finished the qualifying games with 10 goals in 12 matches. He was the second-best goal scorer in the competition.

At Croatia's first game of Euro 2008, fans showed banners supporting Eduardo. This was because of his injury. His national team manager also said Croatia's performance was for him.

Later International Career

After recovering from his leg injury, Eduardo played for Croatia again in February 2009. He came on as a substitute in a friendly match. He made four appearances and scored three goals in Croatia's qualifying games for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. However, Croatia did not qualify.

Eduardo played in eleven games and scored three goals as Croatia qualified for UEFA Euro 2012. At the tournament, he only played as a substitute in Croatia's three matches. Croatia was eliminated in the group stage.

Eduardo was chosen for Croatia's team for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. He played in one game, coming on as a substitute against Cameroon. Croatia was eliminated in the group stage again. On 15 July 2014, after the World Cup, Eduardo announced he was retiring from the national team.

Personal Life

On 10 December 2005, Eduardo married Andrea Šok in Zagreb. They have two children. Their daughter Lorena was born in 2006. Their son Mateus was born in 2011. Mateus plays football for Flamengo's youth academy.

Career Statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club	Season	League			National cup		League cup		Continental		Other		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Dinamo Zagreb	2001–02	Croatian First Football League	4	0	0	0	—		0	0	—		4	0
	2003–04	Croatian First Football League	24	9	7	3	—		6	1	1	1	38	14
	2004–05	Croatian First Football League	21	10	2	0	—		7	1	1	0	31	11
	2005–06	Croatian First Football League	28	20	1	1	—		—		—		29	21
	2006–07	Croatian First Football League	32	34	8	6	—		6	5	1	2	47	47
	Total		109	73	18	10	—		19	7	3	3	149	93
Inter Zaprešić (loan)	2002–03	Croatian Second Football League	15	10	0	0	—		—		—		15	10
Arsenal	2007–08	Premier League	17	4	3	1	5	4	6	3	—		31	12
	2008–09	Premier League	0	0	2	3	0	0	2	0	—		4	3
	2009–10	Premier League	24	2	2	1	1	0	5	2	—		32	5
	Total		41	6	7	5	6	4	13	5	—		67	20
Shakhtar Donetsk	2010–11	Ukrainian Premier League	22	6	3	2	—		8	4	0	0	33	12
	2011–12	Ukrainian Premier League	16	5	1	2	—		5	0	0	0	22	7
	2012–13	Ukrainian Premier League	20	4	4	0	—		3	0	1	0	28	4
	2013–14	Ukrainian Premier League	23	9	5	4	—		2	0	0	0	30	13
	Total		81	24	13	8	—		18	4	1	0	113	36
Flamengo	2014	Série A	18	8	6	1	—		—		—		24	9
	2015	Série A	9	2	3	1	—		—		10	1	22	4
	Total		27	10	9	2	—		—		10	1	46	13
Shakhtar Donetsk	2015–16	Ukrainian Premier League	19	12	7	2	—		15	4	0	0	41	18
	2016–17	Ukrainian Premier League	10	2	1	0	—		7	1	1	0	19	3
	Total		29	14	8	2	—		22	5	1	0	60	21
Atlético Paranaense	2017	Série A	2	0	0	0	—		3	0	0	0	5	0
Legia Warsaw	2017–18	Ekstraklasa	10	0	2	0	—		—		0	0	12	0
	2018–19	Ekstraklasa	1	0	0	0	—		1	0	0	0	2	0
	Total		11	0	2	0	—		1	0	0	0	14	0
Career total			315	138	57	27	6	4	76	21	15	4	469	194

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Croatia	2004	1	0
	2005	2	0
	2006	7	6
	2007	11	7
	2008	1	0
	2009	6	5
	2010	7	0
	2011	9	4
	2012	9	4
	2013	7	3
	2014	4	0
Total	64		29

Scores and results list Croatia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Eduardo goal.

List of international goals scored by Eduardo da Silva
No.	Date	Venue	Cap	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	1 February 2006	Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong, China	5	Hong Kong	3–0	4–0	2006 Carlsberg Cup
2	16 August 2006	Stadio Armando Picchi, Livorno, Italy	6	Italy	1–0	2–0	Friendly
3	11 October 2006	Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb, Croatia	9	England	1–0	2–0	UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
4	15 November 2006	Ramat Gan Stadium, Ramat Gan, Israel	10	Israel	2–1	4–3	UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
5					3–1
6					4–2
7	24 March 2007	Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb, Croatia	12	Macedonia	2–1	2–1	UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
8	2 June 2007	A. Le Coq Arena, Tallinn, Estonia	13	Estonia	1–0	1–0	UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
9	22 August 2007	Koševo City Stadium, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina	15	Bosnia and Herzegovina	1–0	5–3	Friendly
10	8 September 2007	Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb, Croatia	16	Estonia	1–0	2–0	UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
11	8 September 2007	Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb, Croatia	16	Estonia	2–0	2–0	UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
12	12 September 2007	Estadi Comunal, Andorra la Vella, Andorra	17	Andorra	5–0	6–0	UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
13	13 October 2007	Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb, Croatia	18	Israel	1–0	1–0	UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
14	1 April 2009	Estadi Comunal, Andorra la Vella, Andorra	24	Andorra	2–0	2–0	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
15	12 August 2009	Dinamo Stadium, Minsk, Belarus	25	Belarus	2–0	3–1	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
16	9 September 2009	Wembley Stadium, London, England	27	England	1–4	1–5	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
17	14 November 2009	Stadion HNK Cibalia, Vinkovci, Croatia	28	Liechtenstein	3–0	5–0	Friendly
18	14 November 2009	Stadion HNK Cibalia, Vinkovci, Croatia	28	Liechtenstein	4–0	5–0	Friendly
19	9 February 2011	Stadion Aldo Drosina, Pula, Croatia	36	Czech Republic	1–0	4–2	Friendly
20	6 September 2011	Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb, Croatia	40	Israel	2–1	3–1	UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
21	6 September 2011	Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb, Croatia	40	Israel	3–1	3–1	UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
22	11 October 2011	Stadion Kantrida, Rijeka, Croatia	42	Latvia	1–0	2–0	UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
23	2 June 2012	Ullevaal, Oslo, Norway	47	Norway	1–0	1–1	Friendly
24	15 August 2012	Stadion Poljud, Split, Croatia	51	Switzerland	1–1	2–4	Friendly
25	15 August 2012	Stadion Poljud, Split, Croatia	51	Switzerland	2–3	2–4	Friendly
26	16 October 2012	Stadion Gradski vrt, Osijek, Croatia	53	Wales	2–0	2–0	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
27	26 March 2013	Liberty Stadium, Swansea, Wales	54	Wales	2–1	2–1	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
28	14 August 2013	Rheinpark Stadion, Vaduz, Lichtenstein	56	Liechtenstein	1–0	3–2	Friendly
29	14 August 2013	Rheinpark Stadion, Vaduz, Lichtenstein	56	Liechtenstein	3–2	3–2	Friendly