Former Manchester City midfielder David Silva has announced his decision to retire from football following a recent ACL injury.
Silva confirmed his decision to retire from football via an emotional video he posted across his social media accounts.
The 37-year-old expressed that he isn’t happy he is retiring but Thursday, July 27, 2023 was a “time” for him to say goodbye to football.
David Silva retires from football
He said: “Today is a sad day for me.
“Today it is time to say goodbye to what I have dedicated my whole life to.
“Today it is time to say goodbye to my colleagues, who are like a family to me. I will miss you very much.
“Ches [Valencia], Armeros (Eibar), Celtinas (Celta Vigo), Citizens (Man City) and Txuri Urdines (Real Sociedad). Thank you because you have made me feel at home.”
David Silva won several trophies during his glittering football career, including; 1 FIFA World Cup title, 2 UEFA European Championship and 4 Premier League.
The midfielder played for several teams in his career namely; Valencia, Eibar, Celta Vigo, Manchester City and Real Sociedad.
Manchester City immortalized David Silva
David Silva is arguably one of the best midfielders of Spanish descent to play in the Premier League and when he departed Manchester City in 2020, the club revealed plans to immortalize him.
The Citizens afterwards made a statue in his honor, which can be seen outside the Etihad Stadium in Manchester.
He made 436 appearances for Manchester City, scoring 77 goals and providing 140 assists across all competitions.
The Premier League champions have also sent out their tribute to David Silva over his retirement, stating that the Spaniard will be remembered as “one of the greatest players in City’s history”.
Manchester City also wished him all the best in his retirement and they thanked him for his contribution to the club.
They wrote “Everyone at Manchester City would like to wish David all the best in his retirement and to thank him once more for the incredible contribution he made to our football club during his ten years here.”
David Silva’s 93 Premier League assists for Manchester City places him seventh in the all-time rankings.
When did David Silva return to Spain?
Silva returned to Spain on the 17th of August, 2020 and in his three-year stay at Real Sociedad, he helped the club win the Copa Del Rey in 2020.
The 37-year-old’s retirement is believed to be due to an ACL injury which he picked up in preseason with the Basque club.
He made 93 appearances for Real Sociedad, scoring 7 goals and providing 18 assists across all competitions before his retirement on July 27, 2023.
The La Liga side also sent a farewell message to David Silva with a message on Twitter which reads:
“🪄𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗴𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴. Farewell, magician 💙”
Cumulatively, he made 744 appearances in his career, scoring 121 goals and providing 194 assists across all competitions.
It is uncertain what the “magician” will be doing next in his career but he can truly be proud of the football career he has had and also feel fulfilled.
