When you think of football and the name Silva, you’d probably think David Silva, right? You’ve read up on the younger namesake, Bernardo Silva, last week. This time, we’re going with the veteran, bringing you some fun facts on the renowned footballer and two other star Cityzens.
It’s time to Know Your Players, and this week we’ve got David Silva, Demi Strokes and Jill Scott!
David Silva
First up today is a footballer regarded by many as one of the greatest midfielders to ever grace the Premier League, and that is none other than City’s team captain, David Silva. A crowd favourite with a ‘magic’ left foot, the Spaniard has earned numerous Player of the Month awards throughout his professional career and helped our Blues attain many victories over the years.
Fun Facts:
- He’s of Japanese heritage from his mother’s side
- This season marks his 10th year with the Blues – a decade in which our City won four Premier League titles, two FA Cups and five League Cups!
- To his teammates and fans, he’s known as ‘Merlin’ or ‘El Mago’ (‘The Wizard’ in Spanish) – a nickname earned from his superb passing skills, working his magic whenever he’s on the field.
- On top of sharing the same last name with fellow midfielder Bernardo, both players are also known to be left-footed.
- He started his youth career in 1995, playing for San Fernando at 9 years of age.
- We might very well see the illustrious footballer as a manager in the future – when asked about Silva, young City player Phil Foden has been quoted saying, “Everyone looks up to him, even the younger ones. He is a captain now, and a leader, and does it really well.”
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Demi Stokes
She may seem a tad shy, but don’t let her gentleness fool you – on the pitch, Demi Stokes is not one to be messed with. Ever-optimistic and encouraging to her teammates, the Man City defender reached international status defying all odds, proving herself a world-calibre footballer you’d want on your side.
Fun Facts:
- She’s no stranger to adversity – Stokes started out her youth career playing for an all-girls team in an all-boys league.
- In 2009, at 17 years of age, she and her teammates lifted the UEFA Women’s U-19 Championship after a final win of 2-0 against Sweden
- She joined Man City in January 2015.
- Her partner is a physiotherapy assistant and member of the National Health Service (NHS). Referring to the current pandemic, Stokes has said, “It’s amazing what [NHS staff] are doing. They’re putting their families, themselves at risk. What they’re doing for the country, they are heroes.”
- In 2018, a hip injury required an eight-month absence to recover. She returned to the sport in 2019 and represented England in the SheBelieves Cup with several City teammates.
Jill Scott
Last on our list this week is Jill Scott, one of the longest-serving players of Manchester City Women’s Team. A girl who grew up loving football, the star midfielder officially joined our Cityzens in 2013 and has been integral to the team’s formidability since. Her unshakeable spirit, loyalty and care to her teammates and work ethic make her an inspiration to us all.
Fun Facts:
- In the 2011 Women’s World Cup, FIFA named her one of England’s four most valuable players.
- She’s played 18 matches in four World Cup finals – more than any other England player in history.
- At the end of 2019, Scott was awarded a Member of the British Empire (MBE).
- In November 2014, then-City-teammate Toni Duggan, who Scott also played with previously in Everton, praised her performance. “We have a Players’ Player award and my vote this year went to Jill Scott. […] She’s always doing the scrappy bits that no one else wants to do. She’s winning the battles in midfield. She’s really stood up and took the lead in central midfield and she’s had a great season,” she said.
Tune in to next week’s Know Your Players and you’ll be an expert on our City athletes before you know it.