July 27, 2023, was a sad day for Manchester City fans, as club legend David Silva officially announced his retirement from professional football [via BBC Sport].
In many ways, Silva can be seen as a precursor to Kevin De Bruyne at the heart of the Sky Blues’ midfield. Like the mercurial Belgian, Silva was always on hand to create chances for his teammates – whether it be by driving through the middle of the park with the ball or picking out a precise pass.
He played for Manchester City for 10 fruitful years – he joined the Etihad Stadium in 2010, before leaving the club in 2020 to join Real Sociedad on a free transfer.
In total, the Spaniard scored 60 goals for the Citizens in 309 Premier League appearances. He was also a regular in the Spanish national team, scoring 35 goals over the course of 12 international appearances from 2006 to 2018.
In a video post on Silva’s official social media, he said: “Today is a sad day for me. Today it is time to say goodbye to what I have dedicated my whole life to. Today it is time to say goodbye to my colleagues, who are like family to me. I will miss you very much.”
Winning his first Premier League title
Back in the 2011/12 season, Manchester City made history when they captured their first Premier League title in dramatic fashion – coming from behind to beat Queens Park Rangers in the last minute of the campaign.
Silva was a key player for the Citizens that season – arguably, at this point, he was at the peak of his powers. He scored 8 goals in all competitions that year – his highest scoring season, 2014/15, saw him find the back of the net on 12 occasions.
Completing a domestic treble at Manchester City
The most successful season of Silva’s club career came during the 2018/19 season, when Manchester City completed a domestic treble by winning the Premier League, the FA Cup and the League Cup.
Although he was slowly being phased out of the City team at this stage, he still had plenty to offer – he made 50 appearances in this campaign, scoring 10 goals along the way.