The club is pleased to announce the arrival of 31-year-old centre forward Tobi Sho-Silva for the 26/27 campaign!
After impressing at games against Chertsey and QPR U21s, the Thamesmead native joins the squad in a permanent capacity.
He started his footballing journey close to home at Charlton Athletic’s academy playing alongside the likes of Joe Gomez, going out on multiple loans to Welling United and Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
After being released by the Addicks in 2016 he signed for Bromley, making 38 national league appearances and scoring eleven goals, assisting a further two as a 22-year-old.
He stayed in the National League with Dover, FC Halifax, and Sutton for the next three seasons, earning promotion to League Two with the latter and a move to fellow League Two outfit Carlisle United in January 2022, where he again was part of a squad which gained promotion as Carlisle progressed to League One.
For the past three seasons Sho-Silva has again been back in the National League mostly, spending two seasons with Maidenhead United before starting last season with Kidderminster Harriers in the National League North, where he gained his third career promotion, and ending back at Step 1 on loan to Solihull Moors.
Speaking to the club Sho-Silva stated, "I love the ambition and the project of the club. Once I came down to see and hear about it up close, it excited me and it felt like something me and my family could get behind."
On the pitch he "hopes to bring excitement, experience, and goals in abundance. I really want to help nurture and bring out the best qualities that lie within our squad from both the youngsters and the older players, fostering that unity across the board."
Dowson recognises the importance of adding a different dynamic in the attacking third, saying "Tobi has a lot of experience, and I like bringing in a mixture of youth and experience so the two can learn from each other. He'll be the target man I've been looking for. Grego-Cox is flying at the minute, scoring goals, Jasper [Mather] and Sak [Hassan] have also been contributing, so goals aren't a problem but we needed someone up there to bring us something different, and Tobi is exactly that."
On the pitch and in the dressing room, Sho-Silva knows the value his experience winning promotions and in the game will bring to the squad, but off of it, the enthusiasm the club has in further strengthening our ties with the local community and bringing the game to as many people as possible aligned with his own sentiments.
When asked what the fans should expect from him, Sho-Silva said that The fans should expect a relentless work ethic, pace, power, and forward thinking play, but also for to him to relate to them as a person and not just a player."
Outside of football, Sho-Silva recently graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University with a master’s degree in Sports Business Management and Policy and runs a company called More Than A Footballer, encouraging athletes to develop themselves off the pitch, as well as advocating for players rights with FIFPRO.
He is also a devout Christian and founded the registered Charity F3 Football, a Christian community for players.
Regarding his move to the Bev he said, "I am a man of faith, I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and as I have been praying with my wife that he has led me to this club for a time like this and I am really just thankful for his guidance."
Welcome to the club Tobi!
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