David Silva

David Josué Jiménez Silva (Spanish pronunciation: [daˈβið ˈsilβa]; born 8 January 1986) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for La Liga club Real Sociedad. Silva plays mainly as a central or an attacking midfielder but can also play as a winger or second striker. He is predominantly a left-footed player[3] and his passing ability and possession-retaining qualities have earned him the nicknames "Merlin" and "El Mago" from his teammates and fans.[4][5] He is considered by many to be one of the best midfielders of his generation, one of the most technically gifted players of all time, and one of the greatest players in the history of the Premier League.[6][7]

For other people named David Silva, see David Silva (disambiguation).

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Jiménez and the second or maternal family name is Silva.
David Silva
Silva in 2017
Personal information
Full name David Josué Jiménez Silva[1]
Date of birth (1986-01-08) 8 January 1986
Place of birth Arguineguín, Spain
Height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)[2]
Position(s) Midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Real Sociedad
Number 21
Youth career
1995–2000 San Fernando
2000–2003 Valencia
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2003–2004 Valencia B 14 (1)
2004–2010 Valencia 119 (21)
2004–2005 → Eibar (loan) 35 (4)
2005–2006 → Celta (loan) 34 (4)
2010–2020 Manchester City 309 (60)
2020– Real Sociedad 10 (1)
National team
2001–2002 Spain U16 6 (2)
2002–2003 Spain U17 20 (5)
2004–2005 Spain U19 14 (5)
2005 Spain U20 5 (4)
2004–2006 Spain U21 9 (7)
2006–2018 Spain 125 (35)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 09:28, 15 December 2020 (UTC)

Silva spent six years of his professional career with Valencia CF, appearing in more than 160 games and winning a Copa del Rey in 2008. In the summer of 2010, he moved to Manchester City and has since appeared in over 400 matches.[8] With them he has won two FA Cups, five League Cups and four Premier League titles. He is regarded as one of Manchester City's greatest ever players alongside Billy Meredith, Bert Trautmann, Colin Bell and Sergio Agüero.[9][10][11][12][13] Silva has been named in the PFA Team of the Year three times. On 26 June 2019, Silva announced that he would leave Manchester City at the end of the 2019–20 season, ending his ten-season tenure at the club.[14] On 28 September 2019, he became the youngest player to reach 200 wins in the Premier league, breaking the record set by Chelsea defender John Terry.[15]

Silva also represented Spain, from his debut for the senior team in 2006 until his international retirement in 2018. He formed a midfield partnership with Xavi and Andrés Iniesta which led to three consecutive international tournament victories – UEFA Euro 2008, 2010 FIFA World Cup, and UEFA Euro 2012. He is one of 13 Spanish players to have amassed 100 caps, he scored 35 goals in his international career, making him the 4th highest goalscorer in Spain's history, and also provided 29 assists, making him the second-highest assist provider in Spain's history.

Early life

Silva was born in Arguineguín, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, to Fernando Jiménez, a former municipal police officer who eventually was responsible for the safety of the Valencia CF stadium and Eva Silva. His father, Fernando, is Spanish (Canarian) while his mother, Eva, is of Japanese descent, claimed by the Canarian media.[16]

Silva began playing football in the youth team of UD San Fernando, near Maspalomas. Originally, he played as a goalkeeper, before becoming a winger and mirrored his game around his footballing idol as a youth, Michael Laudrup.[17] When he was 14, he received an offer to become a youth player at Valencia CF, which he accepted. He stayed in Valencia's youth set-up until he was 17.

Club career

Valencia

A product of Valencia's youth system, Silva made his professional debut in 2004–05, with Segunda División's Eibar, while on loan from Valencia, playing 35 league games and scoring on five occasions. In the following season, he was again out on loan, this time to Celta de Vigo, where he played 34 matches, scoring four goals. After two late substitute appearances, the first in a 2–0 home win over Málaga on 28 August 2005, Silva finished as an undisputed starter as the Galician side reached the UEFA Cup straight from the second-tier.

Silva playing for Valencia

Silva returned to Valencia in the summer of 2006, becoming an automatic first-choice despite his young age of 20. In two seasons combined, he only missed six matches and netted 14 goals, his first league goal coming on 5 November 2006 in a 1–1 draw at Espanyol. In August 2008, he extended his contract by five years, amidst interest of several Premier League teams.[18] He won the Copa del Rey 2008, his first title in Spain.

After not appearing in the first three months of 2008–09 due to a chronic ankle ailment,[19] Silva returned to the call-ups in mid-December. On 3 January 2009, he scored twice in a 3–1 home win over Atlético Madrid,[20] still contributing with 19 matches (four goals) as the Che qualified for the Europa League.

In the 2009–10 season, Silva scored a career-best eight goals, as Valencia finished in third position and returned to the UEFA Champions League. On 15 April 2010, he scored a brace against Athletic Bilbao for a 2–0 home win,[21] adding three assists in the 4–4 thriller at Werder Bremen for the Europa League's round of 16.[22]

2010–11 season
Silva with Manchester City in April 2011

On 30 June 2010, Manchester City announced that they had reached an agreement with Valencia over the transfer of Silva and that he would join the club on a four-year deal, prior to the start of the 2010–11 season.[23] On 14 July, the Premier League side completed the signing[24] and Silva was awarded the number 21 shirt, the same number he wore for Valencia and when playing for Spain. Manchester City had previously tried to sign Silva and his Valencia teammate David Villa in 2008, but were put off when Valencia quoted a £135 million combined price tag on both players.[25]

City manager Roberto Mancini mainly deployed Silva as a winger[26] and later in a trequartista role in his first season.[27] Silva made his Premier League debut on 14 August 2010 in a 0–0 draw against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane.[28] He scored his first goal for the club on 16 September, eight minutes into the Europa League group match against Red Bull Salzburg.[29] On 17 October, he scored his first league goal in a game against Blackpool, netting City's third goal in a 3–2 away win.[30] In a 3–1 home win in the Europa League against Lech Poznań, he set up two goals for Emmanuel Adebayor.[31] He made another assist slipping through Adam Johnson for Manchester City's third in a 3–1 away win against West Ham United.[32] Erroneous media reports emerged suggesting Silva could return to Spain and cited homesickness and difficulty to adapt to the English game. His performances, however, impressed City supporters and earned him three consecutive Manchester City Player of the Month awards from October to December 2010.[33]

On 12 February 2011, he was credited for the equalising goal in the 2–1 loss to rivals Manchester United when an Edin Džeko shot deflected off his back and into the net. On 2 March, he scored from 20 yards out in an FA Cup win (3–0) against Aston Villa. Three days later, he scored the only goal in Manchester City's win against Wigan Athletic. Silva netted the third goal in City's 5–0 rout of Sunderland on 3 April. His assist to Yaya Touré against Everton at Goodison Park took Silva to 15 assists in all competitions for the season.

Following his debut season in the Premier League, Silva emerged as one of the league's finest playmakers. Carlos Tevez lauded him as "the best signing we [Manchester City] have made."[34] Silva finished the 2010–11 campaign with four goals and seven assists in 35 league appearances.[35]

2011–12 season
Silva prior to a league match against Liverpool in 2011

Silva began the 2011–12 season in fine form, scoring the third goal in City's 4–0 thrashing of Swansea City[36] and was voted man of the match. He also scored the following week against Bolton Wanderers, and was again named man of the match.[37] Silva then set up two of Sergio Agüero's three goals in City's second home game against Wigan Athletic. He was beginning to form a great understanding with the Argentine, with the pair having combined to score three goals already. After a series of magnificent displays from Silva, City boss Roberto Mancini compared him to fellow Spain internationals Xavi and Andrés Iniesta and said that Silva is "one of the best players in the world."[38] On 1 October, Silva was awarded the Premier League Player of the Month for his outstanding performances, making it the first time ever that two Manchester City players have won the award in back-to-back months with Edin Džeko winning it the month before.[39]

In the first Manchester Derby of the season at Old Trafford, Manchester City won 6–1, with Silva proving, yet again, to be instrumental in the Manchester City attack, scoring the fifth goal, setting up Edin Džeko's second with a chested volley pass through the United defense, and participating in the first two goals with excellent passing to James Milner to assist Mario Balotelli.[40] He was described as having been "two steps ahead of all the United players" in the aftermath of the match.[41] On 25 October 2011, in an interview with a Spanish radio station, Silva revealed that he turned down Barcelona and Real Madrid so he could sign for City, and that he wants to stay at the club for years. He commented, "Madrid and Barcelona are great teams, but I'm happy here and I would like to stay here for many years."[42] Former City and England defender Earl Barrett said he is almost impossible to stop due to his ability to create space[43] and Andy Cole, who mostly played for Manchester United, has stated that Silva "is a joy to watch."[44]

Silva scored a goal in City's 3–2 away win against Queens Park Rangers on 5 November[45] and also scored in City's 1–0 home win against Arsenal on 18 December.[46] He also contributed by scoring the fourth goal in City's 4–0 win against West Bromwich Albion on 11 April 2012.[47] Having done well to cut the gap between them and Manchester United to just three points, City went into April's Manchester Derby knowing that a win would be enough to send them top of the Premier League on goal difference. In a match widely billed as the biggest game in Premier League history,[48] Silva delivered a corner which was headed home by Vincent Kompany for the winner.[48] City triumphed 1–0, and returned to the league summit having been eight points behind their city rivals as recently as the start of that month.[49]

On 13 May 2012, with City heading into the final day of the season needing a win over QPR to secure their first top flight title in 44 years, Silva delivered a cross for Edin Džeko to score the equaliser in the 91st minute of the match. In addition to winning his first Premier League medal with Manchester City, he also finished the season on top of the assists table with 15 assists to his name[50] and was one of four City players who made it in the PFA's Premier League Team of the Year.[51]

2012–13 season
"He is the maestro, he knows where the passes are going to go. He runs the game. A joy to watch."

Jamie Redknapp

On 17 September 2012, Silva signed a new five-year deal at City, committing himself to the Etihad Stadium until 2017.[52] Just six days after signing his new contract, Silva got off the mark in the 2012–13 Premier League season, registering an assist for Joleon Lescott in a 1–1 draw with Arsenal.[53] He followed this up with another assist the following week, as he played in Aguero to score against Fulham at Craven Cottage.[54] He injured himself playing for Spain in October, which meant he had to miss three games for Manchester City. On 11 November, he provided the crucial assist, a lofted through-ball, to striker Edin Džeko, who converted in the 88th minute to steal a 2–1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur.[55] His first league goal of the season came in a 5–0 thrashing of Aston Villa at home in the very next league match, on 17 November.

On 19 January 2013, Silva scored twice against Fulham at home in a 2–0 win. On 9 March, he scored the fifth and final goal in Manchester City's 5–0 win against Barnsley at the City of Manchester Stadium in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, sealing progression to the semi-finals. In the penultimate Premier League game against Reading, Silva made a superb pass to Džeko which took the entire Reading defense out of the game.[56] Džeko scored, sealing a 0–2 win in City's first match since the sacking of Roberto Mancini. Silva finished the season with four goals and ten assists in 32 league appearances for a City squad that finished runners-up to city rivals Manchester United for the Premier League title.

2013–14 season

The 2013–14 Premier League season was a tough one for Silva, as numerous injuries limited him to just 27 league appearances. Nonetheless, he did well to maintain his stellar record of goals and assists for Manchester City. On 19 August 2013, Silva scored Manchester City's opening goal of the campaign in a 4–0 win against Newcastle United at the City of Manchester Stadium.[57] He followed this up with an assist in the 3–2 defeat at Cardiff, crossing for Alvaro Negredo to score.[58] On 5 October, Silva began one of his most productive spells in the Premier League. Making his first league start since August following a number of injury setbacks,[59] he assisted Sergio Aguero to score against Everton,[60] before scoring once and setting up another in a 3–1 victory over West Ham.[61] Silva then scored again in the 7–0 home win over Norwich on 2 November, but his good form was curtailed by a calf injury, which ruled him out of City's next six games.

He made his return on 14 December, scoring at home in a 6–3 win over Arsenal,[62] before setting up goals in each of the next two games against Fulham and Liverpool. Silva was also enjoying one of his most productive UEFA Champions League campaigns to date, having managed three assists and a goal in Group D, including a strike in a 3–2 win over champions Bayern Munich[59] in December.

The month of March was a productive one for Silva, as he registered two goals and two assists in the league, along with a slew of excellent performances. He was named Manchester City's Player of the Month for March 2014, after scoring in away matches against Hull City and Arsenal.[63] Silva followed this up with a goal and assist against Liverpool at Anfield, but could not prevent the Blues slipping to a 3–2 defeat.[64] However, following a strong run of form in the final five games of the season, City pipped the Merseysiders to the title, and Silva claimed his second Premier League winners medal to add to the one from 2011–12. He ended the campaign with eight goals and 16 assists in all competitions.

2014–15 season
Silva playing in the 2014 FA Community Shield against Arsenal

On 10 August, Silva played in the 2014 FA Community Shield, a match City lost 3–0 to Arsenal.[65] Two days later, he signed a five-year contract extension with City.[66] Like the previous season, on 17 August, Silva scored Manchester City's opening goal of the 2014–15 Premier League season in a 2–0 away win against Newcastle United. Silva then scored against West Brom on Boxing Day.[67]

On 21 February 2015, Silva scored a brace against Newcastle United in a 5–0 win.[68] He won the Etihad Player of the Month award for his performances in February.[69][70] On 4 March, Silva scored in 1–0 win against Leicester City to take him to ten league goals in a season for the first time in his career.[71][72] Jamie Redknapp described him as a "maestro" for his performances for City,[73] while his teammate Edin Džeko called him "the best player in the Premier League."[74][75][76]

On 19 April, in a 2–0 victory over West Ham, Silva was caught in the face by the elbow of Cheikhou Kouyaté, requiring eight minutes of treatment before being substituted for Samir Nasri.[77] Tests confirmed that he had not fractured his cheekbone.[78] On 10 May, Silva scored a goal in City's 6–0 win over Queens Park Rangers, which resulted in the latter's relegation.[79]

2015–16 season

In the opening match of the Premier League season, in a 0–3 win at West Brom, Silva delivered a performance his manager Manuel Pellegrini labelled "unbelievable".[80] As well as assisting the team's third goal, Silva was later credited with the first goal.[81] After contributing another three assists for the team in August (in wins against Chelsea and Watford),[82][83] Silva was nominated for both of the Manchester City and Premier League Player of the Month Awards for August, winning the former.[84][85]

Silva was injured for most of October and November after picking up an ankle injury, while playing for Spain on 9 October.[86][87] He made his return, as a 75th-minute substitute, in a 3–1 league defeat of Southampton on 28 November.[88] He netted the opener in the last UEFA Champions League group stage match on 8 December, in a 4–2 home defeat of Borussia Mönchengladbach, which resulted in Manchester City topping their group for the first time.[89] Silva provided another three assists in home victories against Tyne-Wear rivals Newcastle United and Sunderland.[90][91]

Silva warming up before a preseason match against Tottenham in July 2017

In a 4–0 home league win against Crystal Palace on 16 January 2016, Silva scored one, set-up another two goals and played a key pass in the remaining goal.[92][93] Silva started the 2016 Football League Cup Final on 28 February, as Manchester City defeated Liverpool 3–1 on penalties, winning his second League Cup with the club.[94] He claimed another brace of assists in a 4–0 home defeat of Aston Villa six days later.[95]

After scoring 8 goals in 44 appearances and providing numerous assists, Silva won his first Etihad Player of the Season award for his outstanding contribution, as voted for by Manchester City fans.[96]

2016–17 season

With Pep Guardiola arriving as Manchester City's new manager to much fanfare, it was the beginning of a new era for City. Having put pen to paper on a three-year contract with the Blues,[97] the legendary manager stated that one of the reasons he had come to the club was to work with Silva, whom he described as a special player, and one of the best he had ever trained.[98] In Guardiola's first season at the club, Silva scored one goal in a 5–0 win over Steaua București in the 2016–17 UEFA Champions League play-off round.[99] He later scored the equalising goal in a 1–1 draw against Borussia Mönchengladbach in the group stage.[100] However, Manchester City finished third in the league, and they were knocked out by Monaco in the Champions League round of 16.[101] He ended the campaign with 8 goals and 11 assists in all competitions, and was named Manchester City's Player of the Season.

2017–18 season

Silva started the 2017–18 season with yet another display of finesse, providing eight Premier League assists in 14 appearances, which was the highest total for any player in Europe's top five leagues.[102] The 2017–18 season was an especially difficult time for the Spaniard, with his newborn son having been born extremely prematurely. This led to him having to jet back and forth between England and Spain to visit his son and partner in a hospital in Madrid.[103] Despite this, Silva continued to produce excellent performances, and on 30 November 2017, he signed a one-year contract extension with Manchester City keeping him at the club until 2020.[104] On 10 December, Silva scored the winner in a closely fought Manchester Derby at Old Trafford, stabbing the ball past David de Gea from close range.[105]

Silva was forced to miss a crucial game against Tottenham Hotspur at the Etihad Stadium in December, as he was with his son in Spain.[106] In his absence, City delivered a sumptuous performance, smashing Tottenham 4–1 following an urging from manager Pep Guardiola to secure the win for Silva and his partner Yessica.[107] Midfielder Kevin De Bruyne held his fingers up to show the number 21, Silva's shirt number, after scoring City's second, in a touching tribute to the Spaniard.[108]

He also scored in the 2018 EFL Cup Final against Arsenal[109] For his contributions, Silva was nominated for the PFA Player of the Year and named in the PFA Team of the Year for the second time as City won the Premier League.[110] It was the third Premier League title of Silva's career, and he finished the season with 10 goals and 14 assists across all competitions.[111]

2018–19 season

On 15 September 2018, in a 3–0 home win over Fulham, Silva scored his 50th Premier League goal in his 253rd appearance in the competition, also making his 350th appearance for Manchester City in the same match.[112][113][114][115] City and Liverpool went head to head in an absorbing title race, which ended up with City pipping the Reds to the title by a single point.[116]

It was a remarkable season for the Blues, as they went on to win the Community Shield, League Cup and FA Cup too, with Silva scoring in the final of the latter tournament.[117] In doing this, they became the first club in English football history to win all four domestic honours in a single season.[118] Silva played in 33 of City's 38 league games, registering 10 goals and 14 assists in all competitions[119] as he picked up his second FA Cup, fourth League Cup and fourth Premier League title.

2019–20 season

Following the departure of Vincent Kompany in 2019, Silva inherited the club captaincy.[120] On 26 June 2019, Silva announced that he would leave Manchester City at the end of the 2019–20 season.[14] The campaign began with City facing Liverpool in the Community Shield at Wembley- City won on penalties following a 1-1 draw,[121] with Silva producing a brilliant pass to assist Raheem Sterling for City's goal. On 8 July, he provided two assists, the second of which was his 10th of the season, and scored a free kick as City beat Newcastle United 5–0. With the free kick goal, he reached 150 Premier League goals and assists, which only a few midfielders had done before.[122][123]

On 1 March 2020, City took on Aston Villa in the League Cup final,[124] their third such final in as many years and fifth in seven seasons. The Blues won 2-1, with goals from Sergio Aguero and Rodri, and lifted the trophy for the third time in a row. It was Silva's only trophy as captain of Manchester City, and his fifth League Cup title overall, making him the most decorated player in the competition's 60-year history.[125]

On 26 July 2020, Silva played his final Premier League game for Manchester City, a 5–0 win over Norwich City. He was substituted late on in the match, to applause from all present.[126] Just under a month later, he played his last game in a City shirt, in a disappointing 3–1 defeat to Olympique Lyon in the Champions League quarter-finals, coming on as a late substitute.[127] At the age of 34, Silva ended the campaign with a respectable return of six goals and 11 assists in all competitions, enough to earn himself a third appearance in the PFA Team of the Year despite City's underwhelming season.[128]

Club chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak announced plans for a statue of Silva, along with teammates Sergio Aguero and Vincent Kompany, to be installed at the Etihad Stadium to commemorate his 10-year "transformational" contribution at City.[129]

Real Sociedad

On 17 August 2020, Spanish club Real Sociedad announced the signing of Silva on a free transfer,[130] despite reports of a move to Italian side Lazio.[131]

Silva made his debut for the club in a 0–0 home draw against Real Madrid, coming on as a substitute in the second half.[132] On 25 October 2020, Silva provided two assists as La Real beat Huesca 4-1 in La Liga.[133] A week later, he scored his first goal for the club, in a 4–1 away win against Celta Vigo.[134] Following his excellent performances for Sociedad, Silva was named in WhoScored's La Liga Team of the Month for November.[135]

International career
Silva representing Spain at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
Silva being pressured by Italian defender Leonardo Bonucci in the UEFA Euro 2012 Final.

Silva first represented Spain in the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship in Finland, scoring three goals. In 2006, he became an under-21 international and scored four goals during the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship; this was enough to earn him joint-fourth place in the goal ranking, alongside Italian striker Graziano Pellè.

Silva made his senior international debut in the 1–0 friendly home defeat to Romania on 15 November 2006, and continued to receive call-ups to the side after good contributions in his first games. On 22 August 2007, he scored his first two goals for Spain, netting twice in a 3–2 friendly win versus Greece, and was then called up to the squad of 23 for UEFA Euro 2008.

UEFA Euro 2008

Silva started five of Spain's six matches at Euro 2008. In Spain's second group stage match against Sweden in Innsbruck, he assisted Fernando Torres with a pinpoint cross from the edge of the box,[136] with the Liverpool forward scoring the opener in an eventual 2–1 win.

In the semi-finals game versus Russia, Silva scored the third goal for Spain after a quick counter-attack in which Cesc Fàbregas delivered a low cross, and he sent the ball into Igor Akinfeev's goal with his left foot.[137] In the final, he was involved in an incident with Germany's Lukas Podolski. After he pulled Podolski to the ground, the German approached Silva, which resulted in an angry exchange of words and a coming together of heads that the referee decided not to punish. Shortly afterward, Spanish coach Luis Aragonés substituted Silva for Santi Cazorla in an attempt to calm the tensions.[138]

2010 FIFA World Cup

After appearing regularly during 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification – Spain won all ten fixtures – Silva was also picked for the squad for the finals in South Africa. His participation was, however, a small one. He started the opening group game for La Furia Roja, against Switzerland in Durban, but despite some bright sparks, the European champions succumbed to a 1–0 defeat.[139]

Silva next appeared for Spain in the semi-final against Germany, replacing Pedro for the final nine minutes.[140] Spain won 1–0, courtesy of a header from Carles Puyol, and went on to win the tournament, beating the Netherlands in the final.

UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying

On 11 August 2010, during an international friendly with Mexico, Silva scored two minutes into second-half injury time, ending the game with a 1–1 draw.[141] In a Euro 2012 qualifier against Liechtenstein on 3 September 2010, Silva scored after 62 minutes, in a 4–0 away win.[142] The following month, in the same competition, he scored through a rare header, as the national team downed Lithuania in Salamanca (3–1).

Silva (left) on the ball for Spain in the UEFA Euro 2012 Final

In a friendly against Colombia on 9 February 2011, he came off the bench to score the game's only goal with just four minutes remaining, helping Spain to a hard-fought 1–0 win.[143] He scored twice and provided one assist in Spain's 3–1 victory against Scotland in their final match of the Euro 2012 qualifiers. The win saw the Spaniards enter the tournament with a perfect qualifying record by winning all their group games. He scored the first goal in Spain's 2–2 comeback against Costa Rica, a friendly match where he came on as a substitute in the second half with Spain trailing 2–0.[144] He once again scored in a friendly against Venezuela to make the score 2–0 in a match that ended in a 5–0 win. Heading into Euro 2012, he scored in their pre-tournament friendly against China by finishing off a short give and go from Andrés Iniesta in the 84th minute.

UEFA Euro 2012

Silva was a starter in all six matches of Spain's Euro 2012 campaign. In their opening match of the tournament against Italy, he delivered a superb flicked through ball to Cesc Fabregas,[145] who scored to level the game up at 1–1.

In Spain's second Group C match against the Republic of Ireland, Silva produced one of the performances of the tournament, scoring one and providing two assists in a 4–0 win.[146] His goal was mesmeric, as he left Sean St. Ledger on the floor and beat Stephen Ward before coolly slotting it past former Manchester City teammate Shay Given.[147]

In the 14th minute of the UEFA Euro 2012 Final, he headed home a Cesc Fàbregas cross, giving Spain a 1–0 lead.[148] The match ended 4–0 and concluded the tournament in which Silva scored two goals and made three assists, the best efficiency (goals and assists) of any player at the Euros.[149] He was subsequently named in UEFA's Euro 2012 Team of the Tournament for his performances.[150] He also finished as the joint highest assist provider at the Euros, with three.[151]

2013 FIFA Confederations Cup

Silva was named in Vicente del Bosque's 23-man squad list for Spain's contestation of the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, held in Brazil. On 20 June 2013, he scored two goals and assisted one for David Villa in Spain's 10–0 group stage demolition of Tahiti at the Maracanã.[152] Spain would go on to reach the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup Final, where they were soundly beaten 3–0 by hosts Brazil.[153]

2014 FIFA World Cup

Silva was part of Spain's 23-man squad which traveled to Brazil for the 2014 World Cup. With La Roja looking to defend the title they captured four years ago in South Africa, Silva started the opening match against the Netherlands in Bahia. However, they were unable to repeat their success over the Oranje from 2010, and succumbed to a 5-1 loss, despite taking an early lead.[154]

Silva started the second group stage game, against Chile, playing the full 90 minutes.[155] However, it was another bad outing for the side, who were soundly beaten 2-0 and eliminated from the tournament.[156]

Despite the team's under-performance, Silva was one of the brighter sparks for La Roja, creating seven chances for his team, the most of any Spanish player at the World Cup.[157]

UEFA Euro 2016

Euro 2016 was one of Silva's best outings for the National Team at a major tournament. Starting in all four matches, Silva began the tournament with a show stopping display against the Czech Republic, in which he created six chances for his team- the most of any Spain player in a single match at the tournament.[158] The game ended in a 1-0 victory for the reigning European champions.[159]

In the second group game, a clash with Turkey in Nice, Silva was a key cog as Spain produced one of their best performances of the tournament, dispatching the Turks 3-0.[160] Silva was mesmeric throughout, and received a standing ovation from Spain and Turkey fans alike when he was substituted late in the game.

Silva played the full 90 minutes in La Roja's third group stage game against Croatia. It was an exceptional display, with the midfielder playing a sublime through ball to teammate Cesc Fabregas, who squared for Alvaro Morata to score the opener. He later won a penalty, which was missed by Sergio Ramos, as Spain fell to a 2-1 defeat.[161] Despite this, Silva created five chances in the game, the second most of any Spain player in a Euro 2016 match, after himself.[162] Spain were eventually eliminated in the quarter-final by Italy, who beat them 2-0.[163]

Silva ended the tournament averaging 3.3 chances created per 90, the third highest at the tournament.[164]

Later years and retirement

Silva continued his goal scoring record under new boss Julen Lopetegui, scoring 9 times in 12 matches. In May 2018, Silva was named to Spain's squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.[165] He started all their matches in their World Cup campaign, which eventually ended with a 4–5 penalty shootout defeat to hosts Russia in the Round of 16.

After the 2018 World Cup, Silva announced his retirement from international football.[166] He ended his international career with 125 caps for Spain, having scored 35 goals. Following his retirement, Silva drew plaudits from many of his former teammates, being described as "one of the best ever"[167] and "one of the most talented players Spain has ever produced, without a shadow of a doubt"[167] by midfield partners Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez. Vicente del Bosque, who led Spain to the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012 titles, even went as far as to declare Silva "Spain's Lionel Messi".[168]

Style of play
"He pulls the strings on the pitch. A brilliant footballer with great movement, he can score, assist, a player who decides a game. He’s got so much to his game, that I would consider him one of the best ever."

Andrés Iniesta[169]

"He’s a spectacular footballer. He has been throughout his career. For the national team he has been a cornerstone of that generation of highly talented Spanish footballers. David was a vital component and absolutely essential to that team - one of the most talented players Spain has ever produced, without a shadow of a doubt."[169]

Xavi

A talented and agile left-footed player,[3][170] Silva is known for having an excellent first touch, good dribbling skills, and outstanding technical ability, which, along with his intelligent attacking movements, allow him to retain possession in tight spaces, and to create space for himself and teammates to open up a defence.[171][172][173] His composure on the ball, as well as his vision, passing accuracy, ability to read the game, pick a pass, and control the tempo of his team's play have seen him become one of the best players in the world in his position, as well as one of the best midfielders in Premier League history, and earned him the nicknames Merlin and El Mago.[3][4][5][7][172][173][174][175][176]

Although he primarily serves as a playmaker for his team,[174] he is capable of scoring goals himself as well as creating them,[172][177] which enables him to be deployed in several offensive roles:[3][171] he is usually fielded in a free role as an attacking midfielder, where he is given space to roam the pitch,[178] but has also been used as a winger,[179] as a false 9,[171] as a second striker or as a deeper-lying central midfielder.[3][171][180]

Personal life

During December 2017, Silva had been missing games to return to Spain for personal reasons. On 3 January 2018, he said that his new son, Mateo, had been born extremely prematurely and was fighting to stay alive.[103] On 11 May 2018, Mateo was reported as healthy and was allowed to come home.[181]

On 31 August 2020, he tested positive for COVID-19.[182]

Career statistics

Club
As of match played 22 December 2020[183][184]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup[lower-alpha 1] Europe[lower-alpha 2] League Cup[lower-alpha 3] Other[lower-alpha 4] Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Valencia B 2003–04[185] Segunda División B 141————141
Eibar 2004–05[186] Segunda División 35400———354
Celta Vigo 2005–06[184] La Liga 34440———384
Valencia 2006–07[184] 36442113——519
2007–08[184] 3458181——507
2008–09[184] 1943031—21276
2009–10[184] 3082181——4010
Total 11921174306—2116832
Manchester City 2010–11[184] Premier League 3547110110—536
2011–12[184] 366101021010498
2012–13[184] 32451300010415
2013–14[184] 277306140—408
2014–15[184] 3212206010104212
2015–16[184] 242008240—364
2016–17[184] 344427100—457
2017–18[184] 299207021—4010
2018–19[184] 336519330005010
2019–20[184] 27650403010406
Total 3096034570111914043677
Real Sociedad 2020–21[184] La Liga 1110040——151
Career total 522915591041719161706119
  1. Includes Copa del Rey and FA Cup
  2. Includes UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League
  3. Includes EFL Cup
  4. Includes FA Community Shield and Supercopa de España

International
Appearances and goals by national team and year[184]
National teamYearAppsGoals
National teamYearAppsGoals
Spain 200610
2007102
200891
2009123
2010124
2011104
2012154
201382
2014102
201571
2016155
201797
201870
Total12535

International goals
Spain score listed first, score column indicates score after each Silva goal.[184]
List of international goals scored by David Silva
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 22 August 2007Toumba Stadium, Thessaloniki, Greece6 Greece2–23–2Friendly
2 3–2
3 26 June 2008Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna, Austria18 Russia3–03–0UEFA Euro 2008
4 5 September 2009Estadio Riazor, A Coruña, Spain28 Belgium1–05–02010 FIFA World Cup qualification
5 4–0
6 14 October 2009Bilino Polje Stadium, Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina30 Bosnia and Herzegovina2–05–2
7 8 June 2010Estadio de La Condomina, Murcia, Spain36 Poland2–06–0Friendly
8 11 August 2010Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico39 Mexico1–11–1
9 3 September 2010Rheinpark Stadion, Vaduz, Liechtenstein40 Liechtenstein4–04–0UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
10 8 October 2010Helmántico Stadium, Salamanca, Spain42 Lithuania3–13–1
11 9 February 2011Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid, Spain45 Colombia1–01–0Friendly
12 11 October 2011Estadio José Rico Pérez, Alicante, Spain52 Scotland1–03–1UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
13 2–0
14 15 November 2011Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica54 Costa Rica1–22–2Friendly
15 29 February 2012La Rosaleda, Málaga, Spain55 Venezuela2–05–0
16 3 June 2012Estadio de La Cartuja, Seville, Spain58 China PR1–01–0
17 14 June 2012Stadion Energa Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland60 Republic of Ireland2–04–0UEFA Euro 2012
18 1 July 2012Olimpiyskiy National Sports Complex, Kyiv, Ukraine65 Italy1–04–0UEFA Euro 2012 Final
19 20 June 2013Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil74 Tahiti2–010–02013 FIFA Confederations Cup
20 10–0
21 8 September 2014Estadi Ciutat de València, Valencia, Spain86 Macedonia4–15–1UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying
22 12 October 2014Stade Josy Barthel, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg88 Luxembourg1–04–0
23 14 June 2015Borisov Arena, Barysaw, Belarus92 Belarus1–01–0
24 1 June 2016Red Bull Arena, Salzburg, Austria98 South Korea1–06–1Friendly
25 1 September 2016King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium104 Belgium1–02–0
26 2–0
27 5 September 2016Estadio Reino de León, León, Spain105 Liechtenstein3–08–02018 FIFA World Cup qualification
28 8–0
29 24 March 2017El Molinón, Gijón, Spain110 Israel1–04–1
30 28 March 2017Stade de France, Paris, France111 France1–02–0Friendly
31 7 June 2017Estadio Nueva Condomina, Murcia, Spain112 Colombia1–02–2
32 11 June 2017Philip II Arena, Skopje, Macedonia113 Macedonia1–02–12018 FIFA World Cup qualification
33 5 September 2017Rheinpark Stadion, Vaduz, Liechtenstein115 Liechtenstein4–08–0
34 11 November 2017La Rosaleda, Málaga, Spain117 Costa Rica3–05–0Friendly
35 4–0

Honours
Silva (centre) won three consecutive major trophies (Euro 2008, 2010 World Cup, and Euro 2012) with Spain

Valencia

Manchester City

Spain

Spain U19

Individual

Orders

See also

References
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