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David Silva has signed a five-year contract extension withManchester City, keeping him at the English champions until at least 2019.
Mark Booth of the Premier League side's official website reported comments from Silva, who is due to remain in Sky Blue until he reaches the tender age of 33:
From the moment I joined the club four years ago it has felt like asecond home to me. On and off the pitch, I feel incredibly content and fulfilled professionally and personally, so why wouldn’t I want to stay and keep winning trophies with this fantastic team?[...] It was a straightforward decision to extend my stay here and spend my peak years at Manchester City, a club with unbelievable fans who have always supported me.
How many further trophies will David Silva win with Manchester City?
Silva remains an integral part of City's rise to dominance during the SheikhMansour era. The Spaniard's classy attacking play has helped the team win two Premier League titles, the FA Cup, League Cup and Community Shield since he arrived in 2010.
Alongside Vincent Kompany, Yaya Toure and Sergio Aguero, Silva should be considered one of the club's most important players. His barrage of injury problems over the years has always left a noticeable gap in the side's forward play, as Silva offers an incisive creativity that speeds the team into life.
He often takes up wide positions before floating toward the centre. There's a calming sense to Silva's play as he dabs the ball forward while scoping out gaps in the opposition's back line. He offers an important link between the midfield and the attack, seamlessly moving between both in order to significantly influence the game.
Silva made 26 starts and one substitute appearance for City last season, scoring seven goals and providing nine assists, perWhoScored.com. He has remained a defining force since heading to the Premier League from Valencia, as reported by OptaJoe:
367 - David Silva has created 367 chances in the Premier League since joining Man City in 2010, more than any other player. Sorcery.— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) August 12, 2014
WhoScored.com also offered a nugget to sum up Silva's influence:
David Silva: Has registered more assists in the Premier League (39) than any other player in the last 4 seasons #mcfc— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) August 12, 2014
Despite a poor Community Shield display from City, Silva will be more than optimistic of adding to his trophy collection during the 2014-15 campaign. It's worth noting Aleksandar Kolarov and Samir Nasri have also secured contract extensions, per Booth, keeping the squad's core in tact.
Manuel Pellegrini's men are irresistible at best and offer an ominous attacking threat when they gain momentum. Silva is often key to the barrage, which sees him dictating the side's play from just outside the area. The short, sharp through ball has almost become his defining skill over the years.
Another positive aspect when considering the long-term deal is that Silva's game is not based on electric speed or physical prowess. He is a technical player who doesn't face a debilitating loss of strength as his older years set in. Similar to thinkers such Andrea Pirlo and Paul Scholes, Silva's meticulousness should offset any bodily limitations.
Silva is destined to remain a constant in City's ever-changing side. The squad continues to progress with the signing of Fernando, BrunoZuculini and Eliaquim Mangala, all of whom will add strength to City's squad.
While many of the current crop are unlikely to remain at the Etihad in five years' time, Silva's importance underlines why the club have gotten him to sign a lengthy deal. He is a one-of-a-kind player, the type of individual who cannot he replaced, meaning this may just prove to be Pellegrini's most important signing of the summer.