Brazilian defender, who was signed by Juande Ramos from Hertha Berlin, failed to make a great impression in his time at White Hart Lane.
Gilberto had made his way up through the Brazilian leagues and won a number of honours, including the 1996 Brazilian championship alongside his brother Nelio in the Flamengo side. Had a spell at INternazionale, who signed him on the recommendation of Ronaldo, but only made two appearances before returning home to Brazil.
His debut was not too auspicious and perhaps indicated what was to come from the defender, as he was robbed of the ball by Jefferson Farfan and he wet on to score the only goal of the game. Even though he scored a goal in his Premier league debut against West Ham United at the Lane, he failed to convince as a defender and was better going forward than backwards. While he wasn't fully fit for a while after arriving, he failed to impress the Head Coach and then, when Harry Redknapp took over, he put in a shocking performance after which the manager said it would be very difficult for Gilberto to find a way back into the team. Was exiled to the reserves until called upon to play against Shakthar Donetsk in the UEFA Cup, when Redknapp was scratching around for fringe players to field ahead of the League Cup Final.
It proved to be his last outing for the side, because on 24th July 2009, Tottenham cancelled Gilberto's contract by mutual consent. Soon after, he was signed by former club Cruzeiro on a two year deal back in Brazil.