Well, fans have been aching for an experienced centerback for quite a long time and, now, it looks like the Portland Timbers are at least going to be trialing one.

Mikaël Silvestre is the latest trial for the Portland Timbers. If that name doesn't sound familiar to you then it means that you probably weren't a big Manchester United fan from 1999-2008 when he recorded 269 appearances for the club. He later went on to play for Arsenal and then Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga. According to his most recent Wikipedia update, he was expected to begin playing in India this month, but those plans appear to have been scuppered by this trial.

Here's what Merritt Paulson had to say on Twitter:

Look forward to seeing Mikaël Silvestre in Timbers green at training today — Merritt Paulson (@MerrittPaulson) January 22, 2013

This makes for a very interesting trial. While Silvestre is certainly older than most other Timbers players (at 35) he should have at least a year left in his legs. Hopefully this trial is being planned with an eye for him to not only help with 2013, but also nurture both David Horst and Hanyer Mosquera into better centerbacks in the future.

We'll be keeping a close eye on this one.

What do you think of Mikaël Silvestre joining the team on trial?