I was worrying about my sick son.. Pep said: Go to your family
NEWBORN’S LONG HOSPITAL STAY SO HARD ON CITY STAR
DAVID SILVA says the experience of nearly losing his young son has helped him keep football in perspective as he heads towards the exit at Manchester City.
The midfielder has been used more sparingly by Pep Guardiola this season than in any of his other glittering 10 years at City as the club plan for a future without him.
And 34-year-old Silva insists nothing the day job can throw at him now could cause him any worry after the harrowing experience of going through his son Mateo’s early struggles.
“I think you learn to value the important things in life,” he said. “I don’t waste my time doing my head in about stupid things that don’t really matter, and don’t waste time worrying over nothing.
“So yeah, it puts things in perspective.”
Silva’s partner Yessica gave birth to the now happily bouncing two-year-old Mateo at 25 weeks in December 2017. He spent the first five months of his life in hospital.
It was a difficult time with Silva flitting between Manchester and Valencia, and trying to place the trials and tribulations of a sporting career into some kind of perspective.
“They were the hardest few months of my life,” said Silva, speaking about the period in a book released this week by City saluting his time in Manchester.
“I don’t think anyone can ever be prepared for something like that.
“Until you physically go through that
situation, you can’t appreciate what it would be like. Everyone has an image of a premature child but, until you live and experience it, you just don’t know how bad it is.” Silva paid tribute to the role team-mates and City manager Pep Guardiola played at the time.
In the first game after he rushed to be with Yessica
PEP GUARDIOLA admits he was keen to take David Silva to Barcelona when he managed the Spanish giants, but had to wait for Manchester City to finally hook up.
Guardiola paid tribute to the midfielder, who leaves the Etihad at the end of the season, calling him one of the best ever to wear the shirt. “When you
David Silva: El Mago – A Decade Of Magic, an official Manchester City book, is on sale June 4 from shop.mancity.com or Amazon and Mateo (above), Kevin De Bruyne celebrated a goal against Tottenham by signalling his number 21 to the pitchside camera (left).
“It is something that I’ll be grateful for forever,” said Silva of the dressing-room solidarity. I owe Pep, my team-mates and the club so much. Everyone was so supportive. My head wasn’t in Manchester and Pep recognised it was better for the team, and my own well-being, if I was with my family.
“I had to be close to them. If it hadn’t happened this way, there’s no way I’d have been able to deal with everything. All of the coming and going to and from Valencia are not too fast or too strong to play at a high level, you need to stand out. You need to be very, very good. And David is,” said Guardiola (with Silva, left).
“When I was at Barcelona, I’d say, ‘How good is this guy? I’d love to have him here’. But, at the end of his career, we’ve been together and it’s been really good.”
Guardiola led the tributes in El Mago, the book produced by City would have been too much.” Silva exits the Etihad at the end of a campaign which has seen him play the full 90 minutes just six times in the Premier League this season.
In addition, City fans have had to deal with Silva warming the bench four times, and missing out on the matchday squad a further five times, as Guardiola engineers the transition.
Hard-earned perspective has ensured the smile has stayed and that Silva has remained a hugely positive influence at the club during what can often be a difficult period.
Nothing football throws his way will change that. to mark the end of his 10 years at the club. In a glowing appraisal of his fellow Spaniard, the City boss said: “It is the dream of every pro to have the respect of others in their sport and that’s the best legacy he could have.
“He will go down in history as one of the top players to ever wear the Man City shirt. If we are talking about the top five, David is one of them.”