The talented Spanish winger of Real Sociedad David Silva announced his retirement as a professional player on Thursday, after a serious knee injury.
“Today is a sad day for me, today I have to say goodbye to what I have dedicated my whole life to,” the 37-year-old Canarian player begins in a video of just over a minute posted on his social networks, in which they appear images of his journey through the clubs that marked his career.
Nicknamed ‘El Mago de Arguineguín’, alluding to the town in Gran Canaria where he was born, Silva was injured on July 19 during training with the Basque team during preseason, resulting in damage to the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.
“Today I have to say goodbye to colleagues who are like family to me, I’m going to miss them a lot ‘ches’, ‘armeros’, ‘celtiñas’, ‘citizens’ and ‘txuri urdines’, thank you because you have made me feel like at home”, he concludes, alluding to the clubs he went through; Valencia, Eibar, Celta de Vigo, Manchester City and Real Sociedad.
World champion with Spain in 2010 and the Euro Cups in 2008 and 2012, Silva spent the bulk of his career at City, between 2010 and 2020, winning four Premier League titles, two FA Cups and five League Cups.
With Valencia, the club where he was formed, he lifted a Copa del Rey (2008).
His last title was the 2019-2020 Copa del Rey won by Real Sociedad against Athletic Club.
‘GREAT PLAYER WITH CAPITAL LETTERS’
“A great player with capital letters is leaving, a legend who has amazed with his game wherever he has gone. We are touched, but we must say and we say, with immense pride, that we have enjoyed during the last three years one of the greatest talents that has given the history of this sport”, defined it by the Royal Society in a statement published on its website.
The reactions in the world of football did not take long to arrive after the news broke. “Congratulations on your tremendous career Wizard.
A pleasure to have shared many moments by your side. Thank you for making me enjoy so much in the field. Good luck for what’s to come, friend, football will miss you,” David Villa, his former teammate at Valencia and the Spanish national team, tweeted.
With ‘La Roja’, Silva played 125 games (7th player with the most games), scoring 34 goals (4th top scorer).
“I congratulate you on your career, David, but above all for your example and your football. For me you are unique, friend. I wish you all the best, always,” wrote Andrés Iniesta, another of the great architects of the age golden age of Spanish football in the late 2000s and early 2010s.