Manchester City manager Erling Haaland praised teammate Bernardo Silva, calling him “the smartest player I’ve ever played with” after Manchester City confirmed captain Bernardo Silva would leave the Etihad this summer.
The 31-year-old Portugal international won six Premier League titles and one Champions League title in nine seasons with City, but his contract expires at the end of this season and he will leave the club.
His departure was first revealed by assistant manager Pep Lijnders after City’s 4-0 FA Cup win over Liverpool on April 4, and City confirmed on Thursday that their captain would leave the club this summer.
Paying tribute to his long-time midfielder, Haaland told Sky Sports: “If you ask me what he’s really good at, it’s a little hard to explain, but the way he controls the game, how smart he is, he’s probably the smartest player I’ve ever played with.
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“The way he controls games and everything else. When you talk about his career at City, the last nine years have been crazy. He won the Premier League six times and if you look at his trophies, he also won the Champions League.”
“Look at how important he was for us in the treble season, when he scored against Bayern and when he scored twice against Real Madrid. It’s hard to find words because he has been such an important figure for this club for the last nine years.”
“And he has shaped the club in the way he does it on and off the pitch.”
Silva confirmed his departure from the Etihad via his Instagram account on Thursday, paying a lengthy tribute to the club’s fans, team-mates and manager Josep Guardiola, who has been in charge throughout his stay in the North West, saying he will become a “lifelong supporter of Man City” when he officially leaves at the end of June.
He wrote: “When I came here nine years ago, I was following a young boy’s dream of wanting to succeed in life and achieve great things.
“This city and this club have given me so much more, so much more than I could have ever hoped for. What we won and achieved together is a legacy that will forever be cherished in my heart. Centurion, quadruple domestic crown, triple crown, four in a row…it wasn’t that bad!
“In a few months, it will be time to say goodbye to the city where we have not only won so much as a football club, but also where I got married and started my family. Thank you, Ines and Carlota, from the bottom of my heart!”
“Dear fans, your unconditional support over the years is something I will never forget. My main goal as a player was always to play with passion so that you felt proud and well represented on the pitch. I hope you felt that in every game.”
“I came as a Man City player and I leave as another one of you, a lifelong Man City supporter. Please continue to support this young team and I am sure they will bring you many new great memories in the future.”
“Thank you to the club, Pep, the staff and all my teammates over the last nine years for all the memories and for letting me be a part of this journey for so long.
“The atmosphere we created every day on the practice field made me feel like I was at home and part of a big family. Let’s enjoy the last few weeks together and fight for what this season brings us.”
Manager Lijnders made a surprise announcement in early April confirming Silva’s departure, which had been rumored, and acknowledged that it would be impossible for the club to replace the captain, saying: “Every good story comes to an end.”
“You can never replace a player of the same type, because such a player does not exist. Bernardo Silva is unique,” Lijnders said. Bernardo Silva was filling in for manager Josep Guardiola at the time, as he was suspended for touching the touchline.
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Check out Bernardo Silva’s best Premier League goals for Manchester City.
The Dutchman added: “The way he controls the game, the way he moves, the way he receives, the way he leads, the way he sees solutions, all those things.
“We never look to replace a specific type of player, we look for players who can grow with the team and are suitable for the starting eleven.
“And I hope for our academy and the young players we have already got that they can take that step as well in the midfield positions as well. But when you look at the young players in the academy, they have to take that step and develop.”
“But the most important thing is that our seniors stay for a long time, that they stay, and that we have a nucleus that we can move around and have around them.
“But it’s going to be difficult because, like I said, during the games, when he’s not playing, you’re going to see how much he’s going to be missed. And that’s one game. Imagine one season?”
“But every good story comes to an end.
“I hope he enjoys his final few months. There’s only six weeks left, but it’s been a good farewell and I think he deserves attention as well.”
Bernardo Silva lifts the Carabao Cup as his Man City teammates celebrate
Barça and Juve still keen on Silva’s summer move
Barcelona and Juventus remain among the clubs hoping to sign Silva on a free transfer this summer.
Both clubs have admired the Portuguese star over the years, but they are not alone in their interest, and it is thought that Silva has not yet made a final decision on his next club.
The 31-year-old has long been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia or MLS in the United States.
Analysis: Man City’s selfless maestro
It’s no surprise that the news of Silva’s impending departure is breaking now. After winning the Carabao Cup at Wembley, he returned to his homeland and played a key role in contributing to the demolition of Liverpool. I was reminded of Guardiola’s words after we won 3-0 against the same team in November.
“He is a master,” Guardiola said after the game. “Tempo, how he wins the ball, how he accelerates, decelerates, his instincts to know where the space is, how he manages the situation and so much more. He’s one of the cleverest players I’ve ever met.”
City supporters will then remember the diminutive midfielder. They will remember the quality moments that, coupled with his never-ending work ethic, made him formidable. He had the answer for the team, whether it was deep in midfield or on the wing.
Guardiola has long admired him. After his first trophyless season in charge, the summer of 2017 is often cited as a turning point, with the signing of goalkeeper Ederson and the introduction of pace at the back in Kyle Walker. However, the addition of Bernardo was significant.
His attitude became a symbol of what Guardiola wanted from City. Not only is he technically excellent, but he also has an incredibly hungry spirit. A worker who puts the team before himself. Even when things don’t go well. Guardiola will never forget that part.
In a speech earlier this season, he made that point loud and clear to reporters. “Last season, Bernardo struggled. But he was there, game after game. He was exhausted. After the 50th or 60th minute (of a game last season), he couldn’t run another minute,” he explained.
“At one moment he said: ‘Pep, I’m exhausted. My heart is no longer there, my legs.’ But he was there. And I told the players and him many times that it will never be forgotten. That’s why he is my captain, because even in the bad moments he was there.”
Bernardo Silva’s playing time by position in Manchester City’s Premier League
Silva had more good moments than bad, as he not only affects his ability but also his attitude. While at Monaco, he helped them win the title by defeating Paris Saint-Germain. He also won the league title as captain of Benfica’s B team.
Interestingly, his mental state was not always current. Silva himself credits the influence of Fernando Charana at Benfica’s academy as an eye-opener. The player later said that conversation was the most important conversation of his life.
Charana, himself a 5ft 5in player, told the teenager not to get discouraged if he didn’t get enough playing time in the academy because he would become a better person than anyone else. Some remember talking to Benfica coach João Trallao about how this changed everything.
“He had to change his mentality,” Tralhao explained. “In professional football, you have a lot of obstacles in front of you, but you can’t give up, you have to step up. He had to understand what he could and couldn’t work on.” It worked.
Pep Guardiola relied heavily on Bernardo Silva to set Manchester City’s form
Despite his diminutive size, Silva transformed into a treadmill, leading City’s press and setting the tone with a muscular figure like no other player in the game. A favorite with his teammates and fans, Silva didn’t need Ballon d’Or recognition.
When I spoke to him about this in the summer of 2024, he listened patiently when this journalist asked him a question about individual football awards. He thought about the question. And he made it very clear where those trinkets were for him.
“In my opinion, we give these awards the right weight,” he said candidly. “Because, at the end of the day, we play a team sport. Nowadays, individual awards always go to strikers because they have the finishing touch.”
He added: “When you look at the individual awards and see only the players who score are getting awards, I feel like that doesn’t represent our sport very well.” For Silva, City’s selfless maestro, it’s always been about the team. But that’s what makes him special.
