Daily Mirror

Silkmen on wages rap

MANCHESTER CITY GOALSCORER, GOALMAKER, DRIBBLER.. WINNER

- BY DAVID ANDERSON BY GIDEON BROOKS SILVAWARE

MACCLESFIE­LD could face relegation from the EFL after being charged with failing to pay their players in March.

The club has already been deducted 11 points over two unfulfille­d fixtures against Crewe and Plymouth and the non-payment of players.

The Silkmen were three points above bottom club Stevenage when the League Two season was abandoned and could replace them at the foot of the table if found guilty of the latest charges by an Independen­t Disciplina­ry Commission.

Macclesfie­ld claim they are “deeply surprised” by developmen­ts and say they will “vehemently” defend the claims.

January 8, 1986, Aguineguin, Spain Valencia, Eibar (loan), Celta Vigo (loan), Manchester City

HONOURS: 4 Premier League, 3 FA Cup, 5 League Cup, 3 Community Shield, 1 Spanish Cup

SPAIN: 125 caps, 1 World Cup, 2 European Championsh­ip

PREMIER LEAGUE

Games ................................. 301 Starts .................................. 275 Minutes ............................. 23,404 Goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Assists .................................. 90 PREMIER LEAGUE SINCE AUGUST 2010 MOST ASSISTS

DAVID SILVA ............................. 90 ChristianE­riksen ........................ 62 KevinDeBru­yne ......................... 62 EdenHazard ............................ 54 MesutOzil ............................... 54

............................ 778 EdenHazard ........................... 595 ChristianE­riksen ....................... 571 MesutOzil .............................. 559 JuanMata .............................. 512 MOST CHANCES CREATED FROM OPEN PLAY DAVID SILVA ........................... 649 EdenHazard ........................... 557 MesutOzil .............................. 408 RaheemSter­ling ....................... 401 ChristianE­riksen ....................... 398 MOST ALL-TIME PREMIER LEAGUE ASSISTS RyanGiggs ............................. 162 CescFabreg­as ........................... 111 WayneRoone­y ......................... 103 FrankLampa­rd ......................... 102 DennisBerg­kamp ....................... 94 StevenGerr­ard .......................... 92 DAVID SILVA .............................

AT some stage in the coming weeks David Silva will walk from the Etihad field for the final time in a City shirt accompanie­d by nothing more than the echoing applause from team-mates.

There will be a handshake or two no doubt from gracious opposition followed by an appreciati­ve hug from Pep Guardiola.

Silva, of course, could yet bring down the curtain on his City career as a Champions League winner, the one trophy that has eluded the Spaniard and his club.

But if his send-off is to be a behind-closed-doors fixture at home to Norwich, it is hard to imagine a lower key celebratio­n for a player who is not only one of the greatest talents the club has seen but also one of the finest imports in Premier League history.

Sergio Aguero credits Silva

............................ JoeHart ............................... 266 VincentKom­pany ...................... 265 SergioAgue­ro .......................... 261 RichardDun­ne ......................... 253

SergioAgue­ro .......................... 180 YayaToure .............................. 62 RaheemSter­ling ........................ 59 CarlosTeve­z ............................. 58

............................. 57

............................. 90 KevinDeBru­yne .......................... 61 SergioAgue­ro ........................... 46 YayaTouré .............................. 32 SamirNasri .............................. 31

AlanOakes ............................. 680 Joe Corrigan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 603 MikeDoyle ............................. 570 BertTrautm­ann ........................ 545 ColinBell ............................... 501 EricBrook .............................. 493 TommyBooth .......................... 491 MikeSummer­bee ....................... 451 PaulPower ............................. 445 WillieDona­chie ......................... 436

............................ 424 with being the spark which ignited Manchester City from serial underachie­vers to serial winners.

The club’s record-breaking striker pays fulsome tribute to Silva in a new book, El Mago, to be released this week.

And in it he insisted there was a “before and after” for City, with the capture of the midfield wizard in 2010 providing the turning point.

“When someone can break past the club lines and achieve recognitio­n from the supporters of other teams at a global level, that’s when a legend is born and that is what you are David,” writes Aguero.

“There has been a before and an after for Manchester City since you were here. For that, and in the name of all of those who are part of this club, you have my endless gratitude. „ David Silva: El Mago – A Decade Of Magic, an official Manchester City book, is on sale June 4 from shop.mancity.com or Amazon

You’ve made us all bigger with your talent. I’ve learned a lot from you, we all do, every day.

“You have made assisting your biggest virtue – your drive to share and to bringing the best out of others. You are going to be missed.”

As announced last summer the current campaign will be the 34-year-old’s last with City, 10 years after signing for £24million from Valencia.

He will leave behind a glittering trail of trophies including four Premier League titles, five League Cups and two FA Cups.

Of all the silverware it was the first FA Cup in 2011 which Silva himself calls “the turning point for success”, ending as it did a 35-year wait for a trophy for long-suffering fans.

His contributi­ons as playmaker that season also helped City finish in third place, which brought Champions League football to the Etihad – the first time in 42 years the club had reached the top table in Europe. Nothing could be

Nothing could be more fitting if Silva can win the one prize that has eluded him

 ??  ?? BORN: CLUBS:
MOST CHANCES CREATED DAVID SILVA 90
MOST ALL-TIME PREMIER LEAGUE APPS DAVID SILVA 301
MOST ALL-TIME PREMIER LEAGUE GOALS
DAVID SILVA
MOST ALL-TIME PREMIER LEAGUE ASSISTS DAVID SILVA
MOST ALL-TIME APPEARANCE­S
DAVID SILVA
David Silva helped to change the fortunes of City when he arrived in 2010
David Silva tasted plenty of success after arriving at the club, winning the title (below) and the League Cup
BORN: CLUBS: MOST CHANCES CREATED DAVID SILVA 90 MOST ALL-TIME PREMIER LEAGUE APPS DAVID SILVA 301 MOST ALL-TIME PREMIER LEAGUE GOALS DAVID SILVA MOST ALL-TIME PREMIER LEAGUE ASSISTS DAVID SILVA MOST ALL-TIME APPEARANCE­S DAVID SILVA David Silva helped to change the fortunes of City when he arrived in 2010 David Silva tasted plenty of success after arriving at the club, winning the title (below) and the League Cup

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United Kingdom