Manchester City has announced the plan to erect a permanent monument to the Spanish playmaker, David Silva who will leave the club this summer.
The announcement was earlier confirmed by Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak in an interview with the club’s media. He also said a training pitch with a bespoke mosaic will also be dedicated to El Mago at the City Football Academy.
The statue is an honour to the Spaniard who played for the club for ten years. He made 436 appearances and won four Premier League titles, two FA Cups, five League Cups, and three Community Shields. The statue will be erected outside their Etihad Stadium home.
Silva, who will be going back to Spain to join Real Sociedad has been heavily linked with a move to Lazio on a free transfer. He played his last game of a stellar career at City when they were knocked out of the Champions League at the quarter-final stage by Lyon.
A stellar decade career for David Silva at Man City
According to reports, Silva was told privately about the plans to build the statue by City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak following his final Premier League game against Norwich in July.
It could be recalled that City had last year made a similar plan to celebrate the contribution made by former club captain Vincent Kompany, who recently announced his retirement from the game to focus on coaching Anderlecht.
City will, therefore, unveil Silva’s tribute following that of the former Belgian captain, which is currently being sculpted. Both will be unveiled in 2021.
Meanwhile, the mosaic is already completed, and it features Silva’s contribution to the 6-1 defeat of rivals Manchester United in 2011. All that is needed to be done before the unveiling is to follow government guidelines amid the coronavirus pandemic. Silva is expected to be able to travel to Manchester for the inauguration.
“David Silva is a transformational player; a quiet leader who has acted quietly and deliberately and inspired everyone around him, from the youngest academy player to his senior team-mates over the past 10 years.
“He has put a stamp on the team, on this club, its history and even the Premier League as a whole.
“In doing so he has been instrumental to the beautiful football philosophy you see today. He was the start of it.
“As with Vincent before him, David’s statue will act as a lasting reminder of the wonderful moments that he gave us, not only as an incredible footballer but as an inspiring ambassador who represented this football club with great dignity at all times,” Al Mubarak said in a statement:
Silva won the World Cup and the European champion twice with his native Spain.
The next chapter for Silva is Sociedad
Meanwhile, the next chapter for the Man City legend will be in his country home, Real Sociedad, whom he has signed for as a free agent, turning Lazio’s offer down. He made the move official on Monday evening.
It was believed that the deal with the Serie A side had been done last week, but the days dragged on amid reports he wasn’t taking their calls.
Real Sociedad then announced that Silva had signed a contract with them until June 2022 despite being offered a three-year contract worth €4m per season at Lazio with a Champions League football, and perks including use of a private jet to visit his family.
Having made his mark, Silva has the highest appearance for Man City in European competitions, having played 70 Champions League matches over the past decade.
