Bernardo Silva takes swipe at Benfica chiefs over Luz exit | OneFootball

Bernardo Silva once again recalled his youth development years at Benfica in a long farewell interview given to Manchester City. The Portugal international spoke about the difficulties he faced at the start of his career and admitted that, at Seixal, there were those who did not believe in his potential because of his physique.

“I was at Benfica during my youth years, and I wasn’t playing because they thought I wasn’t big enough or strong enough. I looked at that Barcelona team and thought: these players aren’t big or strong either. If they can do it, maybe one day I can too,” he confessed.

In the same conversation, he also said he feels the time is right to bring his spell in Manchester to an end: “Fifteen years ago I was in a difficult situation, not playing at Benfica because people didn’t believe in me because of my size. Now, being the player with the most appearances in this team makes it all truly special.”

The player also admitted that Pep Guardiola has always been a reference for him, especially because of the way he backed technically gifted players, regardless of their physical stature. Bernardo highlighted names such as Xavi, Andrés Iniesta, Lionel Messi and Pedro Rodríguez as examples that inspired him.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.