Where are they now? The Man City XI from Bernardo Silva’s debut in 2017 | OneFootball

Bernardo Silva is set to leave Manchester City when his contract expires in the summer after an impressive nine-year spell.

Part of six Premier League-winning City squads, Silva has become Pep Guardiola’s most-used player, crossing paths with a plethora of teammates along the way.

He made his City debut as a substitute in their opening game of the 2017-18 season, a 2-0 win over Brighton.

Of the 11 starters that day, only one remains alongside him at City. Four are no longer professional footballers. But where are they all now?

GK: Ederson

Having joined City in the same summer as Silva, Ederson was also making his debut against Brighton in August 2017.

The goalkeeper was a transformative addition for Guardiola. He kept his place as first choice right until his departure from the club last summer.

Ederson joined Fenerbahce, where he has since made 31 appearances and conceded the same number of goals.

CB: John Stones

The only other remaining player still at City who played in Silva’s debut, Stones is also approaching the end of his contract in Manchester.

Stones signed for City a year earlier than Silva and has since made almost 300 appearances for the club, sometimes being set back by injuries.

This season, the defender has only started four Premier League games, but is still a contender to go to the World Cup with England if fit.

CB: Vincent Kompany

After hanging his boots up in 2020, a year after his departure from City, Kompany has been carving out his reputation as a manager.

A spell in charge of Anderlecht led to him returning to English football with Burnley, where he won promotion from the Championship but then suffered relegation from the Premier League.

Nevertheless, Kompany was handed the Bayern Munich job in May 2024, going on to win the Bundesliga at the first time of asking. Unsurprisingly, he has them top of the league again this term as well.

CB: Nicolas Otamendi

At the age of 38, Otamendi is still plying his trade for Benfica, whom he joined from City in 2020 after five years of service.

The centre-back took the Benfica captaincy from his second season with the Portuguese giants, with whom he won the league the following campaign.

Otamendi, who has amassed more than 40 appearances this season for the fifth campaign in a row, is still active for the Argentina national team too.

RWB: Kyle Walker

Another 2017 signing, Walker’s contract with City expired in the summer after a six-month loan spell with AC Milan.

The right-back signed a two-year deal with Burnley on the back of their return to the Premier League. At the age of 35, he has played 29 times for them this season.

Walker has been wearing the captain’s armband across many of his recent appearances for the Clarets, who look likely to go straight back down to the Championship.

CM: Fernandinho

Fernandinho announced his retirement in November, almost a year after his contract with Athletico Paranaense expired.

On the prospect of returning to become part of City’s backroom team, Fernandinho said at the time: “Manchester, as well as Curitiba and Londrina, will always be my home. I was always treated very well, with affection and respect by the fans. Tomorrow we never know what will happen.”

He previously ruled out becoming a coach, though, stating in 2022: “To be honest, I don’t see myself as a coach. I am studying to learn more, to know more, especially football management. I hope to work away from the cameras but life is full of surprises. I am willing to live accordingly.”

CM: David Silva

There were two Silvas at City for a three-year period between 2017 and 2020, with David already having been at the club since 2010.

He then concluded his career with three seasons at Real Sociedad before retiring in 2023 after rupturing his ACL.

Away from football, the Spaniard has been running a winery in his home island of Gran Canaria.

“Maybe one day I will become a coach, “ he said in 2023. “But not just yet. Right now I’m enjoying the break and focusing on the wine.”

And we enjoy thinking back to his imperial phase in a City shirt.

CM: Kevin De Bruyne

After a glorious decade of service, De Bruyne departed City in the summer but chose to continue his career in Europe with Napoli.

The 34-year-old made a bright start to his spell in Serie A, with four goals from his first eight league games, before suffering a hamstring injury in late October.

He finally returned to action last month, playing three times since.

LWB: Danilo

Like Silva, Danilo joined City in 2017. However, he only stayed for two years before joining Juventus in a swap deal with Joao Cancelo.

The full-back remained with Juventus until January 2025, becoming their captain for the last 18 months of his stay.

A return to Brazil beckoned. Danilo signed for Flamengo after his Juventus exit and went on to win the Brazilian Serie A and Copa Libertadores in 2025.

Now 34, he is under contract until the end of the calendar year.

ST: Sergio Aguero

The player Silva replaced to make his City debut, Aguero left the club in 2021 and joined Barcelona, where he only played in five games before having to retire on medical advice.

Since stepping away from professional football, Aguero has got involved with the Kings League, currently presiding over his KRU FC team in the seven-a-side format.

Aguero recently featured in a veteran’s match for Independiente, but tore his Achilles tendon and has undergone surgery. He really was a wonderful goalscorer.

ST: Gabriel Jesus

Jesus is now part of an Arsenal side rivalling City for the Premier League title, having made the move in 2022 in the wake of Erling Haaland’s arrival at the Etihad.

His City career ended with 95 goals from 236 games. He has scored 31 from 117 for Arsenal, where he returned to action in December after an ACL injury.

Jesus is approaching the final year of his contract at the Emirates Stadium and has spoken openly about wanting to return (at some point) to Palmeiras, from whom City signed him in January 2017.