Midfield Merlin鈥檚 historic run with Man City is likely over
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There鈥檒l be no standing ovation in a full stadium for David Silva after his final appearance for Manchester City.
He won鈥檛 be grabbing a microphone 鈥 Pablo Zalabeta-style 鈥 and making a triumphant speech to City鈥檚 fans, either. Not that it鈥檚 his style, anyway.
Indeed, whisper it but there鈥檚 an outside chance, if circumstances dictate, that the man they call 鈥淢erlin鈥 鈥 after the mythical wizard 鈥 might already have worn the club鈥檚 blue shirt in a competitive game for the last time.
Now, let鈥檚 take the best-case scenario: How about Silva ending his decade-long, era-changing City career by lifting the Champions League trophy as captain?
Whatever happens over the coming days during the finale of Europe鈥檚 top club competition in Lisbon, the Spanish playmaker has already etched his name in City lore as perhaps its greatest player.
More than that, Silva has been a driving force behind the way soccer has been redefined in England, where subtlety, creativity and technical qualities are valued as much as the long-standing virtues of power and physicality.
鈥淗e鈥檚 tiny,鈥 City manager Pep Guardiola said, 鈥渁 little player, not a box-to-box player. And my image of England from the outside, I thought, 鈥楳aybe he鈥檚 going to suffer.鈥欌
鈥淗appily,鈥 Guardiola added, 鈥淚 was wrong.鈥
Silva鈥檚 City story began long before Guardiola arrived at Etihad Stadium in 2016 and got the best out of his compatriot.
Six years earlier, in fact, when he joined from Valencia for 24-million pounds (US$31.33m) and as a newly crowned World Cup winner with Spain.
The Premier League wasn鈥檛 the domain of the little playmaker at the time 鈥 Chelsea鈥檚 attacking midfielders were the powerful Michael Ballack and Frank Lampard, for example, and Liverpool鈥檚 was dynamic captain Steven Gerrard 鈥 though the seeds of change were there.
Luka Modric was starting to excel in a deeper role at Tottenham, Cesc Fabregas was already flourishing at Arsenal, albeit in a more box-to-box role.
Deco, the Brazilian schemer comparable in style to Silva, had two fairly underwhelming seasons at Chelsea from 2008-10.
Silva鈥檚 arrival felt significant, and not just because a player who could easily have been at home in the midfield of Barcelona or Real Madrid was choosing to play his peak years at a rising upstart like City.
鈥淲e hadn鈥檛 seen anyone with his attributes, his physicality, do what he did,鈥 said Joleon Lescott, Silva鈥檚 teammate at City.
Here was someone who worked primarily between the lines, linking up attacks in a silky, stylistic and controlled way. Silva was bringing something very different to English football and would soon be widely admired not necessarily for his numbers 鈥 with 77 goals in a total of 434 City appearances so far, he has never been a prolific scorer 鈥 but for his touch, game management and the way he coped with the Premier League鈥檚 physicality.
For 10 years, he has been kicked around. To this day, he seems amazed how little protection he gets from referees in England, and he had repeated ankle problems in 2015 under then-manager Manuel Pellegrini.
But he stayed at City and had the mentality to rise to the physical challenge, perhaps establishing himself as the pivotal figure in its growth as a domestic and European force. Indeed, Silva is the only player to have been with the club for all of the trophies won under its Abu Dhabi ownership, starting with the FA Cup in 2011.
鈥淗e is just able to find space and be effective,鈥 Lescott said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an in-depth footballing thing to say, but I don鈥檛 know if I鈥檝e ever played with someone with the ability of not being near anyone at any time but then not be a passenger. His close control, his awareness 鈥 I don鈥檛 ever remember David getting tackled.鈥
Silva made 93 assists after his Premier League debut in August 2010, 29 more than any other player in that 10-year period. His best, surely, was that flick and volley to Edin Dzeko for City鈥檚 last goal in a famous 6-1 win at Manchester United in 2011.
By then, another stylish Spanish playmaker Juan Mata was in the Premier League with Chelsea. In 2012, another would arrive in the form of Santi Cazorla at Arsenal.
Silva has proven to be a trailblazer in his own humble and understated style.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think we appreciated him,鈥 Lescott said, of English soccer in general, 鈥渁nd I think his profile plays into that. At the time, the media allowed the bigger personalities to take the limelight, which happens. I don鈥檛 think he minded that at all.鈥
If the bond between Silva and City wasn鈥檛 already strong, it was cemented in the 2017-18 season when he was granted compassionate leave for parts of a record-breaking campaign for Guardiola鈥檚 team so he could return to Spain to be with his partner following the premature birth of their son Mateo. It gave a rare insight into the private life of a man who rarely does interviews.
Silva missed key games as Guardiola underscored a 鈥渇amily comes first鈥 mantra and told his players before one game: 鈥淵ou have to win for David Silva and his girlfriend. If you go out there and we suffer, then suffer for him. Is that clear?鈥
So, how will it all end for the 34-year-old Silva at City? At some point, when the pandemic has passed, he will return to the Etihad to have a proper send off in front of the fans in a testimonial. A statue of Silva may be built or a training ground named after him as happened with Yaya Toure.
Before that, he has a soccer resume to complete by winning the Champions League for the first time.
Silva played the last 10 minutes against Real Madrid in the second leg of the round of 16 last week and is unlikely to start the quarterfinal against Lyon today, having been left out of the biggest games by Guardiola in the last couple of years because of his fading intensity and physicality.
City fans will hope, at least, for a substitute appearance, and more sightings of their playmaker in the semifinals and final.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think he鈥檇 be too bothered if he isn鈥檛 appreciated,鈥 Lescott said, 鈥渂ut I鈥檇 like him to know he really is.鈥
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