Manchester City star Bernardo Silva has given a pretty long interview to Portuguese newspaper Record.
Most of the chat was about Portugal’s preparation for the World Cup, but still, the midfielder had a lot to say about his first season in the Premier League.
Speaking of his adaptation to Manchester, what bothers Silva is the same thing as many footballers from abroad: the cold.
“The weather is the worst. I lived many years in Lisbon and then went to Monaco, places that are similar in terms of weather and food. In Manchester it’s eight or nine months of cold and that makes a difference, but apart from that I’m really enjoying the city. The British people in the north are very friendly and treat me well on the streets. They have great respect and don’t bother me.”
Silva was asked how the Manchester City transfer happened, and revealed some of the details of his talks with agent Jorge Mendes.
“In the final months of the season, Jorge Mendes, my agent, said to me: ‘I will not tell you anything because I want you to concentrate on the final games of the season. At the end of the season we speak”.
“I was champion for Monaco and had planned a five-day vacation with my friends in Palma de Mallorca. On the second day I get a phone call from Jorge Mendes with the news of the Manchester City proposal. He explained everything to me and said, ‘If you agree, the day after tomorrow you travel to Manchester and sign.’ I didn’t think twice, to be able to play in the Premier League and one of the best clubs in the world. Instead of five days in Palma de Mallorca I stayed only four (laughs).”
“I think there were more clubs interested, but I had no concrete proposals. I think they were newspaper stories, so I’d rather not talk about it. First because I am not sure and second because I am a Manchester City player and I am satisfied. It was the best choice I could have made.”
Silva recently made it to the news in Portugal for showing up at the national team camp driving a Smart. He explained the reason for it is that he doesn’t have a car in his home country.
“I am a simple and normal person. The question is: I live outside Portugal and spend little time in Lisbon, so I feel that I don’t need to have a car. Therefore, whenever I come to Portugal my father lends me his Smart. I think it’s always better than going to training by bike (laughs).”
There’s a part of the interview with some quick questions to the player, which turned out to be quite interesting. Asked about the hardest team he faced and the stadium with the most impacting atmosphere, Silva answered both with Liverpool and Anfield.
On the players who surprised him most, Silva only named Man City stars, as Kevin De Bruyne, David Silva, Leroy Sane, Gabriel Jesus, Kun Aguero and Ilkay Gundogan. But when asked about the hardest player to pass through, there was a special one: “Ryan Bertrand, Southampton’s left-back.”
