David Silva: Why Manchester City's reluctant hero is the real star
Monday 10 August 2015 11:10, UK
The unassuming David Silva is the key figure in Manchester City's squad of stars, writes Adam Bate.
It's customary for interview opportunities with star footballers to come with the caveat of promoting a major brand. Whether it's Nike, Puma or Adidas, these tie-ins are familiar. So when David Silva's rare media activity comes courtesy of a boutique lifestyle company on his home island of Gran Canaria, you know this is a guy who does things a little differently.
Silva still returns to the Canary Islands whenever the fixture lists allows, but he cannot be accused of shying away from the challenge of the Premier League. Instead, the 29-year-old has embraced it. Since joining Manchester City from Valencia in 2010, he's won everything there is to win in English football and he's done it with panache.
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His team-mates clearly appreciate him on and off the field. Frank Lampard was vocal in his admiration for much of the talent at City upon his arrival last summer but Silva stood out for his character as well as his quality. Lampard described him as a "fantastic bloke" in the dressing room. "When you meet him, you realise how humble he is," he added.
Edin Dzeko preferred to focus on Silva's on-field contribution after the player's wonderful pass set up the Bosnian striker for his goal against Newcastle in February. "For me, he is the best player in the Premier League," he told Sky Sports. "To have him here with us is an amazing thing, because with David you can always score goals."
And yet, Silva has made the PFA team of the year on only one occasion in his five years in England. That's one time fewer than Ashley Young. Perhaps that explains why Thierry Henry adopted an almost conspiratorial tone when praising the Spaniard. It was though he was expressing a dangerous view that's not for sharing in polite society.
He for me is the best Manchester City player by a distance. I may shock people when I say that but he always wants to go forward and he wants the ball all the time. I would have loved to have played with him.
"He for me is the best Manchester City player by a distance," Henry told Sky Sports. "I may shock people when I say that, but he always wants to go forward and he wants the ball all the time. I would have loved to have played with him. He's always trying to be in that middle pocket. He will make his team play better."
Even so, Silva might not be the name that springs to mind when images of Manchester City's recent period of success comes to mind. Despite being a World Cup winner and the team's playmaker, he has not epitomised their rise in the way that Sergio Aguero has with his goals, Yaya Toure with his driving runs or captain Vincent Kompany with his overt leadership.
But that doesn't mean that Silva has not been City's best player. It's often said that Silva must be seen to be appreciated, and yet the numbers do an impressive job of explaining his significance. He was one of only four Premier League players - the others being Aguero, Eden Hazard and Alexis Sanchez - to rank in the top 20 for goals and assists last season.
However, Silva can give the impression of actively shunning such showiness. Delve deeper and the underlying data teases out the detail. Top six for second assists – the pass before the pass. Top three for chances created. Only Hazard completed more passes in the final third of the pitch than Silva last season.
Drifting around in search of space, he is the man who connects midfield with attack. While some might argue that Aguero is not at his best playing on his own up front, he is never truly alone when Silva is on the pitch. As Manuel Pellegrini pointed out after Silva inspired a 3-0 win over Crystal Palace in December, there is more to City than their star striker.
Five days later he orchestrated victory over West Brom inside 35 minutes at the Hawthorns - controlling the flow of the game, winning a penalty and adding a third with a curling shot. He returns there for City’s season opener on Monday Night Football and with Aguero expected to be available, Silva will return to his low-key role as the understated superstar.
The partnership should be enough to see off West Brom – Silva has won his last four games against the Baggies, scoring in three of them – but it’s the big games that City will need him to star in this season if they are to regain the Premier League title. A summer of relative rest could prove significant in making that happen.
World Cups and European Championships have been a part of Silva’s life since 2008 and it’s telling that on the previous two occasions that the man with 91 caps didn’t have to endure an international tournament before embarking on his club campaign, City went on to win the Premier League title. Perhaps that's why Silva has been open about the need to regroup over the summer.
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“This time it was really necessary to have a real break,” he told the Telegraph last week. “You need longer time to relax and let the body recover a lot more. I have had knee and ankle injuries in recent seasons, so it was time to listen to my body and of course, in England, when you get there, it’s non-stop until the end. You don’t have any break.”
Naturally, that interview was on behalf of Anfi Group of Gran Canaria. The man who dreams of representing Las Palmas not Real Madrid or Barcelona continues to do things a little differently to the rest both on and off the field. City supporters will be happy as long as it’s the same old David Silva who shows up this season.
