He’s been a truly outstanding servant over the past eight years but, alas, it seems Man City fans should start trying to acclimatise to the idea of life without David Silva.
Indeed, the man who has functioned as City’s orchestral conductor is himself starting to ruminate on a life beyond the end of his current contract, which elapses in two years’ time.
A few months ahead of his 33rd birthday, Silva spoke to the BBC’s Premier League Show about the life-changing move he made to the City of Manchester Stadium as a 24-year-old back in July of 2010, as well as what the near future holds for him and his family.
City wanted me. They had been calling me since December, asking me to come and play for them.
I thought, ‘who wants me? City want me, so that’s where I’ll go’.
Back then I was living with my parents and they were getting divorced and it was the right time to get away from there, from Spain, and live a new experience.
It turns out I made the right move.
Three Premier League titles, an FA Cup, two European Championships and a World Cup later, here we are.
Looking forward, Silva admitted that nothing set in stone but that he would like his infant son Mateo to grow up on Gran Canaria, just like his father did, and to perhaps one day turn out for the club he supported as a boy.
For City, [I have] two more seasons – what’s left on my contract. After that, I don’t know. It depends how I feel physically and mentally.
I’ve always said that I’d like to play for Las Palmas – my local team. But we’ll see how things go in two years and take it all from there.
Let’s face it, Silva has already done more than enough to attain immortal, untouchable status at City and anything between now and the end of the rainbow will merely add to his credit rating.
Personal happiness and the health of his brood should now take priority and there isn’t a single football fan on earth that would begrudge him that.