Thursday 14 March 2019 08:50, UK
Bernardo Silva has played down comparisons to Portuguese counterpart Cristiano Ronaldo after signing a new three-year contract extension at Manchester City.
Signing from Monaco for £43m in 2017, the 24-year-old has become a mainstay of City's side this season, racking up 40 appearances, scoring nine goals and contributing 10 assists.
His form has seen boss Pep Guardiola laud the playmaker as Portugal's biggest star, usurping Ronaldo.
However Silva is keen to play down the remark, insisting he has a long way to go before such comparisons can be made.
"I think people interpreted things a little different to what he meant," Bernardo Silva said.
"Of course Cristiano, what he has done in over the last 15 years in football is probably one of the best players ever in the history of football, so no comparison to him."
But with Manchester City set to discover their Champions League quarter-final opponents on Friday, Silva could come up against Ronaldo after he inspired Juventus to overturn a 2-0 deficit against Atletico Madrid to progress.
However, Silva admits it's an encounter he would not relish: "I wouldn't like it very much, to be honest.
"I know him, I know what he's capable of and once again he proved it (against Atletico Madrid).
"When you are playing in a competition like the Champions League you have to know that you can get drawn against these kind of teams, these kind of players, and it is a good thing. It means you are playing in the best competitions.
"We will see who we are playing against but, of course, to play against Cristiano is always complicated."
