So, when El Mago himself was nearing the end of his Manchester City career, as approaching a deal with, not Lazio as intended, but Real Sociedad, the club needed to do something special to honour him. The club's chairman, Khaldoon Al Mubarak, announced plans for a statue of Silva to be presented at the Etihad stadium, quoting his "transformational role" with the club.
"David Silva is a transformational player; a quiet leader who has acted quietly and deliberately and inspired everyone around him, from the youngest academy player to his senior teammates over the past 10 years".
He has put a stamp on the team, on this club, its history and even the Premier League as a whole. In doing so he has been instrumental to the beautiful football philosophy you see today. He was the start of it".
Throughout his Manchester City career, Silva earned 436 appearances and 77 goals, with two FA cups and five League Cups, an impressive stat for the Spanish magician.
Unfortunately, in the 2018/19 PL season, David Silva's son was born prematurely, seeing Silva take a break from football while his son was fighting for his life. This lead to one of the more emotional moments in Amazon Prime's Manchester City: All or Nothing.
Statues of both David Silva and former club captain Vincent Kompany are set to be revealed in 2021.