Bernardo Silva has turned out to be one of Manchester City’s best-ever signings – but the maestro has admitted there is one attribute of his that he was actually a lot better at long before he signed for the club.
Bernardo is coming to the end of his seventh season at the Etihad Stadium, after signing for the club from AS Monaco for a reported £43 million.
The 29-year-old has clocked up 350 appearances in total so far, scoring 66 goals and making 62 assists.
Bernardo is adored by supporters for his incredible work-rate and amazing technical ability, as well as his personality away from the pitch. Many are hoping that he will not leave this summer, but there has been more talk about his future, and the feeling is that he may well finally move on. Barcelona have again been strongly linked.
He is said to have a release clause worth around £50 million, which is a total bargain.
It could well be that City fans are watching Bernardo’s final few games for the club, and for them, it is a last chance to feast their eyes on that impeccable dribbling ability.
But interestingly, Bernardo feels this trait of his was actually much better in his younger days…
Bernardo Silva admits he was better at dribbling long before he came to Manchester City
Bernardo is extremely well known for his close control of the ball, and being press-resistant. The Portugal international is so hard for other players to dispossess because he has that low centre of gravity, and the ball just seems to stick to him.
He uses both feet, and can wriggle out of tight spaces with ease.
Bernardo isn’t quick. In fact, he is probably one of the slowest players in the whole squad. However, his use of the ball is bettered by very few, and he is one of City’s most intelligent players.
Bernardo has recently given an interview for a video on the Premier League’s official YouTube channel, and he was asked to guess what his dribbling value was on the video game FC24.
His rating is 92, the highest of any Premier League player and when asked about it, he said: “It’s something I worked a lot on when I was younger. In the academy and in the street with my friends.
“I think I was actually a much better dribbler in the beginning of my career than I am now! Now I take less risks than I used to take for example at Monaco. I think I lost it a little bit, but I also gained on other things. I developed as a player, now I’m a much different player than I was at the beginning of my career. I think a more complete player.”
Bernardo’s dribbling must have been otherworldly back in the day
If we are to believe that Bernardo was actually a better dribbler earlier in his career, then he must have been a sight to behold with the ball at his feet.
Because his dribbling ability now is just amazing, so if it was better when he was younger then it must have been pretty incredible.
Potentially, Bernardo might have had a bit more pace during his younger years, which would have allowed him to be more direct.
These days, Bernardo uses his exceptional dribbling ability to retain the ball, which Pep Guardiola no doubt loves.