Bernardo Silva is one of the world’s finest footballers – but that apparently does not prevent him from being mocked by his teammates at Manchester City.
The Portuguese star has been at the Etihad Stadium since the summer of 2018, joining from AS Monaco in a £43 million transfer deal
Bernardo had really caught the eye with the French giants and had been key in their title-winning season. So the feeling was that City were getting a great player.
But few would really have foreseen just how good Bernardo would become for City. The star has now clocked up 327 appearances for the club, with no other City player making more appearances since his arrival.
He’s been absolutely amazing, with his versatility one of the most impressive things about him. But this is something Bernardo has joked makes him the subject of mockery from the squad…
Bernardo Silva says the Manchester City players mock him for being ‘an attacking defender’
Bernardo is currently out in Saudi Arabia with the team for the Club World Cup, with City beating Urawa Red Diamonds 3-0 on Tuesday night.
Bernardo scored City’s third and final goal of the night, and the team will now take on Fluminense on Friday in the final.
Before flying out, Bernardo filmed a video with the club’s media team that delved into his versatility and work rate.
Early on in the video, Bernardo says (mancity.com): “I think I do a little bit of everything. I don’t score a lot of goals, I don’t do a lot of assists, but a bit of everything in terms of attacking and defending.
“My teammates, they make fun of me! They say that I’m not a winger or a midfielder, that I’m an attacking defender.”
Any club in the world would be lucky to have Bernardo
Obviously, the Man City squad mocking Bernardo for not really having a true position is not serious and all the players adore him.
It has been a running joke that Bernardo gets ‘victimised’ in the City dressing room, but you can tell they all absolutely love that particular dynamic, including Bernardo himself.
£300,000-a-week star Bernardo doesn’t have a nailed-on position these days, but if anything this makes him all the more valuable.
Pep Guardiola can play him anywhere and he will do a job, such is his tactical intelligence and technical ability. Only last night, Joleon Lescott said ahead the win over Urawa that Bernardo could easily win Man of the Match in multiple different positions.
Without any shadow of a doubt, Bernardo is one of the best players in the world whom any club would absolutely love to have, and it will be a travesty when the time finally comes for him to leave.
