David Silva joined Man City in 2010, with stars Yaya Toure, Mario Balotelli, Edin Dzeko, Aleksandar Kolarov and Jerome Boateng. It can be said that Silva is one of the first pieces in the power picture of the Green Man.

Silva was initially just a piece in many expensive superstars brought to the Etihad, but his name did not represent Man City’s ambition to dye England green. We all remember the name that marks Man City’s hegemonic desire to be Carlos Tevez.

 

David Silva’s stature at Man City is comparable to that of Paul Scholes at Man United. Photo: Bleacher Report.

David Silva’s stature at Man City is comparable to that of Paul Scholes at Man United. Photo: Bleacher Report .

When Man City also had Paul Scholes

Paul Scholes grew up in the training camp of Man United, is one of the members of the legendary generation of 92. For Man United, Scholes is a good player and a representative image of the glorious era that the “Red Devils” have experienced, a pride that Man United always uses in every debate about the explosive stature. go out.

Man City has also been placed in the prism of comparison with MU. After suddenly getting rich, the Green Man bought Carlos Tevez and stretched the provocative banner “Red Devils”. This “coffee” action is considered childish by experts, clearly showing the essence of the emerging rich man.

Then David Silva came, everything gradually changed.

David Silva was not appreciated at first. He came at a time when the Premier League was still using muscular midfielders, players who could run for 90 minutes, break through with speed and bravery, launch hammer-like shots.

In that context, the midfielder who is only 1.7 m tall and weighs 65 kg like Silva is really out of place. There is a feeling Silva would be easily blown away by any defensive midfielder in the Premier League. In 2010, the Daily Mail once mocked Man City with an article: “While Premier League clubs are looking for a midfielder who can scream across the pitch, a midfielder who can shoot the ball from 40 meters away, Man City bought David Silva again.

 

Among the giants, the little David still rose above them all. Photo: Getty Images.

 

Among the giants, the little David still rose above them all. Photo: Getty Images .

Silva is slim and also seems more gentle than the Premier League sassy. Silva’s former teammate, Micah Richards, recalls: “There was a time when Silva rented my house. After a while, I found my house even more beautiful, cleaner. Silva took care of the house like it was his own. I wonder what kind of player Silva is.”

Silva brings the discipline of life to the pitch. Micah Richards continued: “By the time Silva arrived at Man City, we had Robinho. Robinho comes from Brazil, has good technique, or makes teammates admire with his artistic shots or dribbles. Then Silva came and no one thought Robinho was technical.”

David “Merlin” at Etihad

At Man City, David Silva is known as David Merlin. Merlin is the name of the magician in the legend of King Arthur. And Silva is the magician in the history of Man City. Silva’s passes were magic in the eyes of his teammates.

However, what brings Silva into the history of Man City as well as the Premier League is his ability to build and regulate the tempo of the game. Silva was small in a tournament full of giants, but he easily defeated those twice his size.

Perhaps not many people know this statistic: David Silva is the fastest person to reach 200 Premier League wins in the history of the tournament. He won 200 Premier League games in 289 appearances, surpassing John Terry’s record of 305.

In the journey to reach the reach of Man City, they have gone through many mutations. There are coaches who come and go, philosophies built and then collapsed to give way to new philosophies. However, no matter how much Man City has changed, led by anyone, David Silva’s position cannot be replaced. He is one of the rare Man City players to win the Premier League under three different managers (Roberto Mancini, Manuel Pellegrini and Pep Guardiola).

 

Silva is likened to the magician of Man City. Photo: Mancity

 

Silva is likened to the magician of Man City. Photo: Mancity

Not only making a name for himself thanks to his expertise, David Silva is also respected by the whole Premier League for his kind and humble lifestyle. Joe Hart once said he was surprised to see Silva wearing only shorts and a hoodie to a luxurious dinner, while other Man City players “dressed up” as splendidly as going to the event.

Also Joe Hart said Silva never considered himself a foreigner at Man City. He always wants to be treated normally like a local and contribute to the club with the mentality of a player who “grew up in Manchester, fan of Man City since childhood”.

David Silva ended his 10-year relationship with Man City. He is not English, was not born in Manchester, has not been with the Blue Man all his life, nor is the player with the most matches, but is a symbol of Man City’s revolution. Blue Man fans will remember Silva as one of the milestones marking the most glorious era of Man City, the same way Man United remembers the 92