Manchester City have had several all-time greats on their books who will likely command respect and adoration for decades to come.
Kevin De Bruyne is the name that perhaps stands out above the rest, as he cemented his status at the Etihad Stadium as their biggest match-winner domestically and in Europe for nearly a decade.
Another player who was simply exceptional for Manchester City was none other than Vincent Kompany, whose reading of the game, leadership and consistency was second to none.
Yaya Toure is considered a footballing icon as well and it’s safe to say that the list goes on.
Neil Warnock compares David Silva to Bobby Charlton
However, one name who may go under the radar due to how understated he was as a player was David Silva.
However, big names within football such as Alexander Isak adore Silva after playing alongside him for Real Sociedad.
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De Bruyne considers David Silva Manchester City’s greatest player as well and Neil Warnock has now compared the Spaniard to Bobby Charlton on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Football Daily podcast, explaining: “David Silva, David Silva, he was my favorite. Little David Silva. Obviously, you weren’t around then but when I was a kid, Bobby Charlton, they said he’s lazy.”
David Silva in action for Man City against Manchester United
Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images
“He’s a lazy player, but when you watch Bobby Charlton, he wasn’t lazy. He just, he could walk into a position to get the ball that other players would have to run and sprint and because he had a brain and he made it look easier him. And David Silva was very similar.”
David Silva stats compared to Bobby Charlton
David Silva and Bobby Charlton were similar players in the sense that both of them were elegant, were supremely technically gifted and as Neil Warnock claims, a step ahead of the rest on the pitch.
As a result, it is easy to see why the pair have been compared.
PLAYER APPEARANCES GOALS ASSISTS
BOBBY CHARLTON 853 284 89
DAVID SILVA 895 160 225
In terms of their respective statistics, David Silva has the edge on Bobby Charlton, with 385 goal contributions (225 goals and 160 assists) in comparison to the latter’s tally of 373 goal involvements (284 goals and 89 assists).
However, both players are legends of the game and remain cherished by the Manchester clubs they represented.