Who is Marco Silva is the question on the lips of many Premier League fans this afternoon, as it his name that adorns the top of the bookmakers' odds to be the next manager of Hull City.
Following Mike Phelan's falling upon his sword last night, Hull are on the hunt for a new manager. Phelan became the fourth manager to be sacked this season, following Francesco Guidolin, Alan Pardew, and Bob Bradley out the door as a result of spending too long in the confines of the league's Drop Zone. Phelan leaves after just one win in his 85 days as Hull's permanent manager, disappointing, considering he managed twice as many in his 82 days in temporary charge of the club.
Initially, recently-departed Birmingham City manager Gary Rowett was installed as the favourite for the position, closely followed by Alan Pardew, whose famous intervention at Hull up to now was his headbutt on David Meyler on the touchline of the KC Stadium.
Now, however, the favourite is one Marco Silva, who has shot out of nowhere and is now the 1/6 favourite to take the job. But who the hell is he?
Who is Marco Silva?
Silva is just 39 years old, and hails from Portugal. He was a largely journeyman player, bouncing around the Portuguese leagues, playing at right-back for nine different clubs. His longest spell with a club was with the club at which he retired: he spent six years with Estoril, making 109 league appearances.
Upon retirement at Estoril, he moved upstairs to become their Director of Football at the age of just 34. The club were then in the second division, and following the dismissal of the manager, Silva took the managerial reins, and led them to promotion.
His remarkable success continued: the club finished fifth in the top-flight the following season, earning entry to the Europa League while he was at it. In 2013/14, they went one better, finishing fourth, with Silva leaving to take charge of Sporting Lisbon. they finished third under his watch, winning the Portuguese Cup, their first bit of silverware since 2008. Bizarrely, he was sacked four days after the final. the reason stated was his refusal to wear an official club suit in a cup match against F.C. Vizela.
Next, he popped up at Olympiakos for the 2015/16 season: a win against Arsenal in the Champions League preceded a league title triumph. Silva left at the end of the season, citing personal reasons.
At just 39, he now heads for the most difficult job of his career thus far: taking over the Premier League's weakest side without any past experience of the Greatest Most Competitive League In The World.
Portugese manager Marco Silva is the name in the frame for the @HullCity job this am. One caller says "it may as well be Long John" #hcafc
— David Burns (@bbcburnsy) January 4, 2017
His pedigree is impressive, but the Premier League has made fodder of the likes of Pepe Mel and Felix Magath in the past, so history is against him.
