BERNARDO ENJOYS A GRIN BONUS AT CITY
from DAVID ANDERSON in New York
HE’S been chucked in a pool fully clothed, had his shoes tied to the ceiling and eggs smashed over his head.
Yet Bernardo Silva is happy to be the victim of his Manchester City team-mates’ pranks.
Silva is the favourite target for City’s practical jokers due to his questionable dress sense.
The Portuguese takes it in good heart, believing the stitchups underline the ‘Crazy Gang’ spirit in the
City dressing room, which helped them win the title last season in record-breaking fashion.
“It’s alright,” said game-fora-laugh Silva.
“We have fun. I like to enjoy every day and have fun in the training sessions to have a good atmosphere.
“With the amazing atmosphere around the Manchester City dressing room, it’s good to train every day.”
Silva’s fellow Portuguese speakers – Fernandinho, Gabriel Jesus and Ederson – are some of the pranksters while the ringleader is his old Monaco pal Benjamin Mendy.
Silva has been on his guard since reporting back for pre-season duty on Monday as World Cup winner Mendy returned with him.
“I’d say it’s Ben Mendy,” he said when asked who was the worst prankster.
“He always creates a great atmosphere in the dressing room. He’s always happy, he’s always trying to make people laugh – that’s important in a dressing room.”
So far, Silva’s clothes, shoes and hair have r e mained untouched after he agreed to City’s request to come back early from his postWorld Cup break.
Silva, 23, reported back later last summer for pre-season due to the Confederations Cup and consequently took the first half of the campaign to get fully up to speed in the Premier League. He finished strongly though, scoring seven goals to take his tally in his debut season to nine, and Pep Guardiola wants him to hit the ground running this time.
“They asked me if I could come a bit earlier and I said of course,” said the £43m attacking midfielder. “Me and all the staff thought it would be good.
“I want to try to do well this season and I want to get fit as soon as I can.”
The champions played Liverpool in a friendly early this morning and Silva is looking forward to facing his old Monaco pal Fabinho when the season gets started for real in a fortnight. “I messaged him when he moved,” he said of Liverpool’s new signing. “I’m happy for him.
“He was one of the players, who helped me the most when I moved to Monaco and he is one of my big friends in football.
“When I first arrived in Monaco he had been there for a year and, because we spoke the same language, he was one of the players who helped me to adapt and train well.
“As a person and as a player I wish him the best, but not on the pitch against me – I want to beat him of course.”