I've decided to create a new series dedicated to current & perhaps former A League players in which the question has to be asked as to how for the love of all that's holy that somehow they are professional footballers. 

Today's episode is Daniel De Silva.  

Daniel has been one of the most mysteriously hyped footballers in the A League without showing one shred of reason as to why this is so. Last night once again demonstrated & highlighted even more so due to the fact that they were playing against semi professional footballers. 

From his beginnings on a professional level with Perth Glory commentators & pundits threw themselves into a lather everytime he touched the ball however those of us who have been in the game a while sat quietly at home baffled as to what the fuss was all about when all what was on display was the standard touch, passing, shooting, body positioning of any footballer who has been in the game a while. Perhaps, we all thought, there was something in this lad that was missed. 

Then the mystery deepened with the transfer to Italian top division club Roma.  Roma? Roma? What?  Surely a top division European club wouldn't pay much attention to a standard football player from a standard league & the unhinged hype machine of commentators & pundits but somehow they did. 

Maybe I've wrong all this time, but then....

Roma also cleared the mystery & unmuddied the brown water somewhat. Seems as though he rocked up to Roma, they had a look at him & somehow forgot to pay the first instalment of a transfer fee for him. Why those dodgy Italians!! Whatever are they playing at!!  We are the hype machine who know out footballers so obviously those ignorant Italian's don't see a world class footballer when they see it, I mean who wouldn't pay 2.5 million for such a player?  Oops.

So on the hype machine went to Roda, fairly decent Eredivisie club where a massive 16 appearances in 2 years also continue to unmuddy the brown water where he joined quite possibly Australia's worst professional football club by a long way. 

The Central Coast Mariners.  21 appearances later in 2017 & not much is happening there so for some reason the A League champions Sydney FC under a pragmatic & demanding Graham Arnold sign him.  Pushed to the outer of a very competitive squad he is limited to bench appearances but does manage 19 appearances but is one of the players who neither excels nor disappoints so no one is surprised or particularly bothered when he once again leaves back to the Central Coast Mariners.

Last night against semi professionals Hume City besides fluffing an absolute sitter which as an advanced attacking player is possibly the worst thing you can do & I didn't see any indication of any improvement or anything special besides normal passing but zero creation & link up play or anything to justify a professional gig. 

So today's unsolved mystery is Daniel De Silva.   Can YOU solve it?