Spanish and Manchester City legend David Silva has announced his retirement from professional football with immediate effect in what he described as ‘a sad day for me’.
The 37-year-old suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury during pre-season, which usually takes between 6 and 12 months to recover from and could have seen him miss the entirety of the 2023-24 campaign.
As a result, he has opted to call time on a glittering career that spanned two decades and saw him net 20 major trophies.
Muchas gracias…fútbol pic.twitter.com/HoB6TPojAd
— David Silva (@21LVA) July 27, 2023
Silva appeared 436 times for Manchester City, and was one of the first heroes of the new City ownership, scoring 77 times and adding 140 assists.
He has a statue outside the Etihad Stadium for his contribution, which included featuring regularly on the way to City’s first Premier League title, and he was widely considered one of the best midfielders in the Premier League and indeed World Football during his time in the northeast.
The Spaniard lifted the Premier League four times, along with five League Cups and 2 FA Cups.
He returned to Spain in 2020 and has appeared almost 100 times for Real Sociedad, grabbing 7 goals and 8 assists in that time, but picked up a serious injury ahead of the new season and has decided to call time on his career than attempt to return to full fitness.
