Bernardo Silva explains golden rule for Man City players - 'not allowed'

Manchester City captain Bernardo Silva spoke about his experiences at the club over the last nine years

Bernardo Silva will always support Manchester City - because he has never been allowed to be a star under Pep Guardiola. The 31-year-old remains the engine of the City side after nine years at the club and the environment at the Etihad has convinced him to stay for so long while his life has changed.

After arriving from Monaco in 2017, Silva quickly became a favourite with fans and is adored by most more than ever as he captains a team that can still win four trophies this season. The tenacious midfielder was appointed by Guardiola to be the skipper for this season and restore some of the standards that had dropped last year.

Silva has led by example on and off the pitch and will be missed when he leaves - with a contract that runs out at the end of the season and not many hopes of a renewal. The Portugal international is fully committed to every action of every game and believes that the club mentality of picking collective over individual success helps fans to get on board with players.

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“I always felt that [love], obviously, when you win, and it it's a bit more than when you don't win,” he told the club magazine. “People get frustrated a little bit. That's part of the game. Football is a passionate, passionate game. But I would say that the love that I felt from day one, that people always understood and understood me, the way that I wanted to be understood, so I never wanted to be the star. I always wanted just to be another one in the team.

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“And in this football club, you're not allowed to be a football star. You're allowed to be a part of a fantastic team, where everyone feels the same, and the fans also, they feel that way. So I remember even on my second third season, I always felt that the crowd really, really, really loved me, and so I have no complaints about that. They've been really good with me.”

Silva has an unbelievable haul of medals and trophies from his time at City, with the Blues winning six Premier League titles so far as well as the Champions League and numerous cups. The boy from Lisbon has also become a man in Manchester and whether he leaves City this summer or later on, his bond with the club and the city will last forever.

“The day I eventually leave, I can assure you I will always support this club," he said. "I feel that I became a part of this club and also a fan of this football club, not just a player. So after these many years to be able to wear the armband it's obviously a massive honour.

“I’ve spent, years and years of my life here, haven't I? Nine years, and this is the place where I started the relationship with my wife, this is the place where I had my first daughter, so it became a massive part of my life, and I think that even when I'm like 60 years-old or something like that, I will always remember this city as a massive, massive, happy period of my life - and not just my life, but my wife's life, my daughter's life. She was born in Portugal, but when she was one month old, she came to Manchester. She’s growing up here.”

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