Manchester City icon David Silva has told AS that he snubbed Real Madrid in order to join the Citizens.
The Spaniard came up through the ranks of Valencia’s youth team and was part of their senior team that won the Copa del Rey in the 2007/08 season. His displays for Los Ches resulted in interest from several clubs, and Manchester City won the battle for his signature in 2010.
Back in July, Silva suffered a serious knee injury and announced his retirement.
He will receive the AS Lifetime Achievement award next month, and this allowed the newspaper to have a detailed chat with him to review his career.
When asked why he picked Manchester City, at a time when they weren’t a dominate force in England, over Real Madrid, he said: “Firstly because they bet very hard on me. I felt their trust and support from the first call.”
“Then because in those conversations they already told me that the project was going to be what it finally was. The ambition was to become one of the greats of Europe and today it is.”
Silva spent a decade at Manchester City and became a fan favourite during his time at Etihad. He won four Premier League titles and every other domestic competition with the Citizens.
On how he lived his time at Manchester City, Silva explained: “With great enthusiasm and commitment, because I feel a participant in that growth, as do all the footballers with whom I have shared a dressing room there over the years.
“I would tell you that the expectations were even higher than those I had when I arrived in Manchester.”
The Spaniard left Pep Guardiola’s side as a free agent and joined Real Sociedad in 2020. He states his desire to compete at the highest level convinced him to sign for La Real over other destinations outside of Europe.
