Bernardo Silva has acknowledged that it is time for the next generation to take centre stage at Manchester City as he prepares to leave the club after nine trophy-laden years. The 31-year-old City captain will depart the Etihad Stadium when his contract expires at the end of the season, seeking a new challenge closer to his family.
Farewell Interview
In a farewell interview with the club, Silva expressed his pride in his achievements and deep gratitude to manager Pep Guardiola. He also reflected on City's misfortune in not winning more Champions League titles.
"It's never enough, but I feel that we won a lot, our generation. I feel that also it's time for these young guys to have their moment," Silva said. "And for me personally, it's an opportunity to go a bit closer to my family. It's been quite a long time, 12 years that I've been apart and quite far away and I want to be a bit closer to them."
"Even though I love the football club and I loved the nine years here, I feel it's the right moment for me to have a new challenge in my life – it's going to be good."
Illustrious Career at City
The Portugal midfielder has made 459 appearances for City in total, placing him in the top 10 of the club's all-time list, and has scored 76 goals since joining from Monaco in 2017. He has won 15 major trophies with the club, including four successive Premier League titles between 2021 and 2024, the treble in 2023, and all four domestic trophies in the 2018-19 season.
Silva found it difficult to choose between the domestic quadruple and the treble as his favourite achievement. "Even though the Champions League adds something special to it, to win a domestic quadruple was really tough, especially against that Liverpool team," he said. "But if I have to choose one, I think the treble because the Champions League for this club – the only one that we won, it edges it a little bit."
Reflections on Champions League Near Misses
Silva believes that more of City's teams could have achieved the treble, referencing the final lost to Chelsea and the semi-final defeat to Real Madrid. "The final that we lost against Chelsea was a clear example. In my opinion, we were the best team in Europe that season and we played a really bad final," he said. "The year that we lost to Real Madrid in the semi-final, in the last minutes, I would say that we were the best team again in Europe that year, for me."
Praise for Teammates and Guardiola
Silva named Kevin De Bruyne as the best player he has played with at City, just ahead of David Silva. He described Guardiola as his "idol" before arriving in Manchester.
"Way before I joined Man City, Pep for me was always an inspiration because when he was training Barcelona, that team with the small guys, with Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Lionel Messi, Pedro," Silva added. "I was at the time in Benfica in my academy years where I didn't play because they thought that I wasn't big enough, that I wasn't strong enough. And me looking at that team and thinking, 'these guys, they're also not big, they're also not strong. If they can do it, maybe one day I can do it.' So, Pep's team was always an inspiration for me and then to join the club and to be able to be with him nine years and to be a part of this success, it's fantastic."
