Why Bernardo Silva will always be remembered as a Man City legend

When Silva arrived at City in 2017, he joined a side that had won the Premier League only twice, with the most recent success coming three years earlier.

Nine years on, though, Silva – now the second-longest serving player at the club – has helped transform City into a dominant force in the English game and played a central role in his side winning the Premier League title in six of the last eight seasons.

His first title success came in his debut campaign as City became the first side in Premier League history to amass 100 points in a 38-game season.

In 2019, City’s points tally of 98 was enough to pip Liverpool to the title by a single point in what is widely regarded as one of the greatest title races in English football history.

Between 2021 and 2024, City and Silva made further history as they became the first team to win four consecutive titles.

Silva could yet win a seventh Premier League crown at the end of the season, with City still chasing Arsenal in the closing weeks of the season.

The Portugal international has also helped turn City into a powerhouse on the European and International stage.

In 2023, he produced arguably his finest performance in a City shirt during the Champions League semi-final second leg against Real Madrid, when his first-half double helped City on their way to the final. There, they went on to beat Inter Milan to win the trophy and, in doing so, complete a historic treble.

At the time of writing, Silva has made 451 appearances for City – the seventh-most in the club’s history – and contributed 76 goals and 77 assists.

He is, in many ways, the perfect embodiment of Guardiola’s City: a naturally gifted player whose talent is matched by a relentless and aggressive work rate.

But his influence extends far beyond the pitch. In recent years, he has emerged as one of City’s key leadership figures following the departures of Kompany, Aguero, De Bruyne and Kyle Walker, culminating in his appointment as club captain in 2025.

Following Thursday’s announcement, former Manchester City and England defender Steph Houghton hailed Silva for the way he has led by example over the last nine years.

“There is nobody that can do what he does. With Bernardo, he is a different kind of leader to Kompany or Fernandinho,” she told 5 Live.

“A lot of it is through performances and about him leading the boys in doing certain things. You can’t fault his effort every single time he pulls on a Manchester City shirt.

“No matter where he is playing, he gives absolutely everything.”