MY DEBT TO PEP & CITY
Silva hails club for its support in family crisis
DAVID SILVA says the experience of nearly losing his young son has helped him keep football in perspective as he negotiates the path towards his Manchester City exit.
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 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. “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 healthy twoyear-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.
“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 his teammates and his manager Pep Guardiola played at the time. In the first game after Silva rushed to be with Yessica and Mateo, Kevin De Bruyne celebrated a goal against Spurs by signalling Silva’s shirt No21 to the pitchside camera. “It is something that I’ll be grateful for, for ever,” said Silva of the dressing-room support.
“I owe Pep Guardiola, 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.”
Silva makes his exit from the Etihad at the end of a campaign in which he has played a full 90 minutes just six times in the league this season.
Hard-earned perspective has ensured Silva’s smile has remained and he continues to be a hugely positive influence at the club. Nothing football throws his way will change that.