Role model Silva gets a City statue
MANCHESTER CITY will honour club legend David Silva with a statue outside the Etihad.
Silva brought the curtain down on his glittering 10-year City career last Saturday as a late substitute in the shock 3-1 defeat by Lyon in the Champions League.
The Spaniard joined City from Valencia and went on to make 436 appearances and win 14 trophies, helping the club become the dominant force in English football.
City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak paid tribute to Silva and described the playmaker as “inspirational”.
He said: “David is a transformational player, a quiet leader who has inspired everyone around him.
“David’s statue will act as a lasting reminder of the wonderful moments that he gave us, not only as an incredible footballer, but as an inspiring ambassador who represented this club with great dignity at all times.”
Silva, 34, is just the second City player to be given the ultimate honour of a statue following former captainVincent Kompany. The tributes to both will be unveiled next year.
The World Cup winner’s contributions to the club will also be commemorated by the naming of a training pitch after him and a mosaic in his honour at the training ground.
Silva, who has been offered a deal by Italian side Lazio, made 309 Premier League appearances, scored 60 goals and was influential in City’s four title wins in 2012, 2014, 2018 and 2019.
He also holds the record for the most European appearances for City, with 70 matches across the Champions League and Europa League.
Kompany, 34, who left City to join Anderlecht last summer, yesterday announced his retirement as a player to focus on being manager of the Belgian outfit.
He said: “I want to fully commit to my role as a coach and need 100 per cent of my time and focus for it.That’s why I’m quitting as a football player. Our ambition and our hunger remains the same.”