'The best in England? No way,' says Man City's precious Silva
By MATT LAWTON
Last updated at 11:00 PM on 18th November 2011
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Some footballers are recognised simply for their goals and good performances. David Silva has been chief among them in England this season but he has also been credited with a baby boom.
That, at least, is what supporters of Manchester City have been claiming on their internet forums. ‘Football porn,’ is how one such admirer described watching him recently and after seeing Silva caress a football on the pitch it seems they go home from a game with an overwhelming desire to be more intimate with their partners.
Sitting in the small media studio at City’s Carrington training base, the player most responsible for spreading the love across the blue half of Manchester could not be a more reluctant aphrodisiac.
He shifts uncomfortably in his seat when you suggest that, right now, he is the finest footballer in the country. ‘No, no,’ he says, protesting with a smile. ‘There are many great players in the Premier League. I won’t say who I think is the best. But I would say some of them are here, at this club.’
Sensation: David Silva has helped fire Man City to the top of the Premier League
It is not easy talking to this immensely talented, yet slightly built forward. Especially when the interview has to be conducted through an Argentinian woman who admits to knowing nothing about football. When I ask Silva to recall how he felt when a week-long trial with Real Madrid ended in rejection, she digests his answer and then spins back towards me. ‘He was 12!’ she says. I was aware of that.
Painfully modest: Silva played down his influence
But we persevered and in the time we spent together this week he provided some insight into the kind of guy he is; painfully modest but tremendously professional, and someone who says he owes as much to English football as those whose lives he already appears to have touched owe to him.
He explains how playing in the Barclays Premier League has improved him as a player; how, now he is 25 and well into his second season at City, we are starting to see the best of a silky Spanish forward with the most striking looks; the darkest, most piercing eyes, a product of a Spanish father and a Japanese mother.
When he agreed to a move from Valencia to City in the summer of 2010, he did so with a touch of trepidation. He knew English football was faster and more physical than what he was used to; perhaps too fast and physical, given his size.
‘I realised it would be different but I came over here to try,’ he says. ‘I knew it was a very competitive league and that I would have to adapt the way I played in Spain to suit English football. The game is so fast here. You have to decide where the pass has to go before you have received the ball. You need to be a fast thinker. But thanks to the help from the club, from my team-mates, I have adjusted. I am faster, quicker.’
Adapting: Silva has had to change his game since moving to England
He is a reason why Roberto Mancini’s side are so quick; why they are threatening to run away fast with this season’s title race. He says: ‘You have to think faster but you also have to move faster. The game is more physical. The tackles are harder. You have to move faster to avoid the challenges that come from the defenders here and you have to think and move faster to stay with the pace of the game. It is exciting, a challenge I have enjoyed. I am a better player for it.’
It was City’s speed as well as their skill and strength that allowed them to secure that astonishing 6-1 victory against Manchester United at Old Trafford and has propelled them five points clear at the summit of the table.
‘That has been my favourite game so far,’ says Silva. ‘It was a great result and everybody enjoyed it. That day we got the balance right between the physical and the football. It was almost perfect.’
Cautious by nature, Silva is not getting carried away. He is invited to compare City to the Barcelona and Real Madrid teams he has encountered and the Spain team he is now very much part of, but points to what he considers crucial differences.
‘Barcelona and Real Madrid have played as a team for a long time,’ he said. ‘We are still developing, getting to know each other. We are still building the stability we need due to having lots of new players. There have been a lot of changes at the club.
Knocking on the door: City are closing in on Real Madrid and Barcelona
‘But we are getting to know each other, that is true. Because there were fewer changes in the summer just gone, fewer new players, we are a more settled side. We have been together more than a year now and I think we are developing an understanding and that strength.
‘To play good football you need to find the balance between the physical and the football. Slowly, step by step, we are getting it right. You are seeing that in the Champions League. It was new at first but we are getting better.’
Before talking more specifically about him, about his past and what seems to be a slow realisation in Spain of just how gifted a player he is, I have to ask him about Saturday’s encounter with England. Was he as unimpressed by England’s defensive style as many of his international colleagues?
Having just trained with some of those England players, he chooses to be diplomatic. He acknowledges the fine display Joleon Lescott delivered and compliments Fabio Capello’s side on their discipline.
‘They closed down the space very well and after watching the game you could see the only way they would score was from a set-piece,’ he says. ‘I think we tried, but they played well, closed down and marked well. They played defensive and stopped us playing. Joleon played well.’
But can they succeed at a tournament playing that way? ‘I think it would be difficult,’ he replies.
Scapegoat: Silva was dropped after Spain lost their opening World Cup match in 2010
In an interview he reportedly gave in Spain earlier this year, he expressed some doubt as to whether he would be at next summer’s European Championship. Despite having more than 50 caps for Spain he seems to think he does not have the backing of Vicente Del Bosque - a feeling that comes from the fact that he started the first game of the last World Cup but then paid the price for that opening defeat to Switzerland. He returned only for the last four minutes of the semi-final against Germany.
Given the quality of the opposition when it comes to securing a place in Spain’s team, there is no shame in that. But in some parts of Spain they do seem to have been a little slow to embrace Silva’s talent. He accepts the competition and the raising of the bar.
‘Everybody in the Spanish team has to raise their standards to get into the team,’ he says. ‘We have good players in the last generation, many good players. I try to do everything right. What people think? That has nothing to do with me.’
He was indeed 12 when his family escorted him from their home in Arguineguin, on Gran Canaria, for a trial with Real Madrid. It did not work out. ‘I don’t really know why but I think they thought I was too small,’ he says. ‘I spent a week there. I remember there were kids who were bigger than me but there were some who were smaller than me, too. I was disappointed but at that age all I was really interested in doing was playing football.’
Adored: Silva scores against Chelsea for Valencia
It would be another two years before he joined Valencia, having been spotted by an agent who then approached Silva’s father, Fernando.
There, he would be admired and adored. So much so that when the club ran into serious financial trouble they were prepared to sell David Villa to Barcelona in the hope that they could keep hold of Silva.
In the end they had to sell both, but even then there was no great interest from inside Spain. Real Madrid had expressed an interest, but the moment Jose Mourinho became manager that died. As much was confirmed publicly by senior Valencia officials.
Silva does not seem to take it personally. ‘I don’t feel unappreciated,’ he says. ‘I feel the love from the people. When I was in Valencia the people showed me a lot of affection and now I am here they treat me just as well.
‘When I was in Valencia I could only see myself playing for Valencia in Spain, but when the opportunity came to play over here it was a total change. The people know how I am playing and that is all that matters.’
He does play the game beautifully, and confirms that he does indeed play without strapping on his feet and shins for extra protection. ‘I like to feel the ball,’ he says. ‘I’ve never liked wearing strapping.’
Mancini clearly likes his style. Silva chose City ahead of other suitors, Chelsea among them, because City’s manager pursued him so actively and he continues to thrive on that support from the Italian.
‘I was struck by the confidence he had in me,’ says Silva. ‘And by how much the club wanted me. What people think of me is up to them but I work hard and I try to do everything right.’
A possible rush of babies called David would suggest he is succeeding.
Read more: <a class="postlink" href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2063438/Matt-Lawton-The-best-England-No-way-says-David-Silva.html#ixzz1e8VLg3aW" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... z1e8VLg3aW</a>
By MATT LAWTON
Last updated at 11:00 PM on 18th November 2011
Comments (2)
Add to My Stories
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Some footballers are recognised simply for their goals and good performances. David Silva has been chief among them in England this season but he has also been credited with a baby boom.
That, at least, is what supporters of Manchester City have been claiming on their internet forums. ‘Football porn,’ is how one such admirer described watching him recently and after seeing Silva caress a football on the pitch it seems they go home from a game with an overwhelming desire to be more intimate with their partners.
Sitting in the small media studio at City’s Carrington training base, the player most responsible for spreading the love across the blue half of Manchester could not be a more reluctant aphrodisiac.
He shifts uncomfortably in his seat when you suggest that, right now, he is the finest footballer in the country. ‘No, no,’ he says, protesting with a smile. ‘There are many great players in the Premier League. I won’t say who I think is the best. But I would say some of them are here, at this club.’
Sensation: David Silva has helped fire Man City to the top of the Premier League
It is not easy talking to this immensely talented, yet slightly built forward. Especially when the interview has to be conducted through an Argentinian woman who admits to knowing nothing about football. When I ask Silva to recall how he felt when a week-long trial with Real Madrid ended in rejection, she digests his answer and then spins back towards me. ‘He was 12!’ she says. I was aware of that.
Painfully modest: Silva played down his influence
But we persevered and in the time we spent together this week he provided some insight into the kind of guy he is; painfully modest but tremendously professional, and someone who says he owes as much to English football as those whose lives he already appears to have touched owe to him.
He explains how playing in the Barclays Premier League has improved him as a player; how, now he is 25 and well into his second season at City, we are starting to see the best of a silky Spanish forward with the most striking looks; the darkest, most piercing eyes, a product of a Spanish father and a Japanese mother.
When he agreed to a move from Valencia to City in the summer of 2010, he did so with a touch of trepidation. He knew English football was faster and more physical than what he was used to; perhaps too fast and physical, given his size.
‘I realised it would be different but I came over here to try,’ he says. ‘I knew it was a very competitive league and that I would have to adapt the way I played in Spain to suit English football. The game is so fast here. You have to decide where the pass has to go before you have received the ball. You need to be a fast thinker. But thanks to the help from the club, from my team-mates, I have adjusted. I am faster, quicker.’
Adapting: Silva has had to change his game since moving to England
He is a reason why Roberto Mancini’s side are so quick; why they are threatening to run away fast with this season’s title race. He says: ‘You have to think faster but you also have to move faster. The game is more physical. The tackles are harder. You have to move faster to avoid the challenges that come from the defenders here and you have to think and move faster to stay with the pace of the game. It is exciting, a challenge I have enjoyed. I am a better player for it.’
It was City’s speed as well as their skill and strength that allowed them to secure that astonishing 6-1 victory against Manchester United at Old Trafford and has propelled them five points clear at the summit of the table.
‘That has been my favourite game so far,’ says Silva. ‘It was a great result and everybody enjoyed it. That day we got the balance right between the physical and the football. It was almost perfect.’
Cautious by nature, Silva is not getting carried away. He is invited to compare City to the Barcelona and Real Madrid teams he has encountered and the Spain team he is now very much part of, but points to what he considers crucial differences.
‘Barcelona and Real Madrid have played as a team for a long time,’ he said. ‘We are still developing, getting to know each other. We are still building the stability we need due to having lots of new players. There have been a lot of changes at the club.
Knocking on the door: City are closing in on Real Madrid and Barcelona
‘But we are getting to know each other, that is true. Because there were fewer changes in the summer just gone, fewer new players, we are a more settled side. We have been together more than a year now and I think we are developing an understanding and that strength.
‘To play good football you need to find the balance between the physical and the football. Slowly, step by step, we are getting it right. You are seeing that in the Champions League. It was new at first but we are getting better.’
Before talking more specifically about him, about his past and what seems to be a slow realisation in Spain of just how gifted a player he is, I have to ask him about Saturday’s encounter with England. Was he as unimpressed by England’s defensive style as many of his international colleagues?
Having just trained with some of those England players, he chooses to be diplomatic. He acknowledges the fine display Joleon Lescott delivered and compliments Fabio Capello’s side on their discipline.
‘They closed down the space very well and after watching the game you could see the only way they would score was from a set-piece,’ he says. ‘I think we tried, but they played well, closed down and marked well. They played defensive and stopped us playing. Joleon played well.’
But can they succeed at a tournament playing that way? ‘I think it would be difficult,’ he replies.
Scapegoat: Silva was dropped after Spain lost their opening World Cup match in 2010
In an interview he reportedly gave in Spain earlier this year, he expressed some doubt as to whether he would be at next summer’s European Championship. Despite having more than 50 caps for Spain he seems to think he does not have the backing of Vicente Del Bosque - a feeling that comes from the fact that he started the first game of the last World Cup but then paid the price for that opening defeat to Switzerland. He returned only for the last four minutes of the semi-final against Germany.
Given the quality of the opposition when it comes to securing a place in Spain’s team, there is no shame in that. But in some parts of Spain they do seem to have been a little slow to embrace Silva’s talent. He accepts the competition and the raising of the bar.
‘Everybody in the Spanish team has to raise their standards to get into the team,’ he says. ‘We have good players in the last generation, many good players. I try to do everything right. What people think? That has nothing to do with me.’
He was indeed 12 when his family escorted him from their home in Arguineguin, on Gran Canaria, for a trial with Real Madrid. It did not work out. ‘I don’t really know why but I think they thought I was too small,’ he says. ‘I spent a week there. I remember there were kids who were bigger than me but there were some who were smaller than me, too. I was disappointed but at that age all I was really interested in doing was playing football.’
Adored: Silva scores against Chelsea for Valencia
It would be another two years before he joined Valencia, having been spotted by an agent who then approached Silva’s father, Fernando.
There, he would be admired and adored. So much so that when the club ran into serious financial trouble they were prepared to sell David Villa to Barcelona in the hope that they could keep hold of Silva.
In the end they had to sell both, but even then there was no great interest from inside Spain. Real Madrid had expressed an interest, but the moment Jose Mourinho became manager that died. As much was confirmed publicly by senior Valencia officials.
Silva does not seem to take it personally. ‘I don’t feel unappreciated,’ he says. ‘I feel the love from the people. When I was in Valencia the people showed me a lot of affection and now I am here they treat me just as well.
‘When I was in Valencia I could only see myself playing for Valencia in Spain, but when the opportunity came to play over here it was a total change. The people know how I am playing and that is all that matters.’
He does play the game beautifully, and confirms that he does indeed play without strapping on his feet and shins for extra protection. ‘I like to feel the ball,’ he says. ‘I’ve never liked wearing strapping.’
Mancini clearly likes his style. Silva chose City ahead of other suitors, Chelsea among them, because City’s manager pursued him so actively and he continues to thrive on that support from the Italian.
‘I was struck by the confidence he had in me,’ says Silva. ‘And by how much the club wanted me. What people think of me is up to them but I work hard and I try to do everything right.’
A possible rush of babies called David would suggest he is succeeding.
Read more: <a class="postlink" href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2063438/Matt-Lawton-The-best-England-No-way-says-David-Silva.html#ixzz1e8VLg3aW" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... z1e8VLg3aW</a>