“A little thorn stuck inside” – David Silva opens up on “sad” Manchester City exit and message to fans | OneFootball

Manchester City legend David Silva has opened up on the nature of his exit from the Etihad Stadium and the “little thorn stuck inside” of him over the manner of his departure.

Silva’s decade at City is widely regarded as a catalyst for the club’s modern golden era, racking up a staggering 436 appearances, 77 goals, and 141 assists, helping the club to end a 35-year trophy drought through the 2011 FA Cup.

By the time he called time on his Premier League career, he had secured four English top-flight titles, two FA Cups, and five League Cups, cementing his legacy as perhaps the greatest player to ever wear the sky-blue shirt – eventually immortalised with a statue at the Etihad Stadium.

But David Silva’s exit in the summer of 2020 was a quiet affair due to the absence of fans during the Covid pandemic, with his final Premier League appearance coming in a 5-0 victory over Norwich City on July 26, 2020, and his final game for the club coming a few weeks later in the Champions League – a disappointing quarter-final defeat to Lyon in Lisbon.

Despite interest from across Europe, David Silva chose a return to Spain with Real Sociedad, leaving Manchester as a club captain and a legend whose technical artistry in the middle of the park redefined the standard for midfielders in English football.

What has David Silva said about his Man City exit?

Now speaking to MailSport’s Jack Gaughan, David Silva has reflected on his exit from Manchester City during a difficult, Covid-hit campaign, and the inability to be able to say a true farewell to the club’s supporters.

“It made me sad not to say goodbye, you know? To say goodbye to the fans, to the people, because of Covid,” Silva explained.

The former Spain international continued, “Because honestly… in the 10 years I was there they gave me so much, so much affection.

“And the truth is that not being able to say goodbye leaves you with that little thorn stuck inside. I always feel their affection, I keep that with me.”

How have Man City managed to replace David Silva?

Replacing a legend of David Silva’s stature was never going to be a single-player task, and Pep Guardiola has largely opted for a collective to fill ‘the ‘El Mago’s’ void, initially with Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gündogan stepping into central creative roles, while Phil Foden was long touted as the heir to the throne.

The current season has seen a more youthful phase with the emergence of Nico O’Reilly and the summer acquisition of Rayan Cherki, with the former transitioning from a versatile left-back into a physical yet technically gifted midfielder.

Meanwhile, Cherki – who inherited the No.10 shirt upon his arrival last summer – has provided the creative chaos and vision that Manchester City have arguably lacked in some matches in the post-David Silva years.

Combined with the box-to-box nature of Tijjani Reijnders, Pep Guardiola has rebuilt a midfield engine room alongside sporting director Hugo Viana that retains David Silva’s technical DNA, while adding the athleticism and directness required for the modern Premier League era.