Silva departs as City great who combined shapeshifting grace with a spiky edge
He never seems to tire, never wants to be substituted, is hardly ever injured 23 May 2026 - THE GUARDIAN / Sport Simon Hattenstone Bernardo Silva is more than a footballer. He’s a time-travelling, shapeshifting superhero. He even looks like a superhero – a nine-volt battery of a man doing battle with feral giants on the pitch. In 55 years of watching football I’ve never seen anybody or anything like him. For the past decade I’ve been lucky enough to watch him turning out week in, week out for my club, Manchester City. And now it’s time to say goodbye. Some footballers are famous for having played in virtually every position on the field. James Milner, John O’shea and Phil Neville come to mind. They tend to be solid, stolid types, as reliable as they are unimaginative. Silva is in a sphere of his own, though, when it comes to versatility. Not only is he supremely skilful, he often plays in every position in a single match. Occasionally he even plays in every position in a single move. H...