Guardiola names Silva new Man City captain

PHILADELPHIA -- Pep Guardiola has chosen Bernardo Silva arsenic Manchester City's caller skipper up of what the Portuguese midfielder has admitted could beryllium his past play astatine the club.

Guardiola usually lets players and unit ballot connected who should beryllium captain, but has decided to name Silva -- and vice-captains Rúben Dias, Rodri and Erling Haaland -- himself for the archetypal time.

It could beryllium Silva's past play astatine the Etihad Stadium aft helium hinted helium volition not widen his contract, which is owed to expire successful 2026. The 30-year-old, who arrived from Monaco successful 2017, has been linked with a instrumentality to his boyhood nine Benfica.

"I cognize what I'm going to do, but it's not the clip to speech astir that," said Silva. "I'm precise focused connected my season. I'm precise focused connected performing good for Man City. When the clip is owed I volition speech astir it.

"I person 1 twelvemonth connected my declaration truthful evidently I tin permission adjacent season. I've had options successful the past and this year, similar past year, and this twelvemonth my enactment is to enactment astatine Man City."

Silva has made the measurement up to beryllium skipper aft helium was named arsenic portion of City's enactment radical past season.

Kyle Walker was made nine skipper a twelvemonth agone and Guardiola has revealed helium took the antithetic measurement of picking the skipper this summertime aft seeing things helium "didn't like" during past season's disappointing campaign.

Walker near to articulation Milan connected indebtedness successful January and contempt the Italian broadside deciding against making the determination permanent, the England full-back has been near retired of City's squad for the Club World Cup.

"I'm the manager this season, for the archetypal clip successful my career, I decided who would beryllium my captain," said Guardiola. "I didn't similar what happened past season. I decided this season.

"Sometimes I privation to beryllium the brag and this play I decided to bash it, truthful I chose the 4 captains and astatine the extremity of this World Cup, possibly we volition take 1 oregon 2 more."

Haaland has been named arsenic a City vice-captain for the archetypal time. The striker signed a 10-year declaration successful January and Guardiola says the Norwegian could 1 time instrumentality the armband.

"Erling Haaland is truthful young, but helium has to commencement to larn what it means to beryllium a captain, due to the fact that helium volition beryllium present hopefully many, galore years," helium said. "Sooner oregon later, helium volition instrumentality that presumption arsenic the archetypal one."