Bernardo Silva has said that one Manchester City player gives the team a lot of confidence on the pitch.
Having made 351 appearances for the Blues since his arrival in 2017, the midfielder has played a key role in the club’s successes over the past few years.
Across those appearances, the 29-year-old has found the back of the net 66 times and supplied 62 assists
He’s also shared the dressing room and the pitch with over 60 City players during his time at the Etihad Stadium.
Now though, the midfielder has shared his thoughts on one particular teammate he has a lot of experience playing with and why he is so important for Pep Guardiola’s side.
Bernardo Silva says Ruben Dias is so helpful
In a recent YouTube short shared on the Premier League’s official channel, Silva was tasked with building his ultimate five-a-side team filled with his City teammates.
When asked to pick a defender in his team, Silva said this.
He said: “I have to go with my big friend Ruben Dias.
“He gives us the confidence at the back to know that if we fail in our way of pressing he’s always there to block a shot, to be a proper defender, to make no mistakes.”
During the 2020 summer transfer window, City paid £65m to sign the centre-back from Benfica.
Since then, Dias has gone on to make 175 appearances for the Blues across all competitions, chipping in with four goals and five assists.
145 of those games have seen the 26-year-old share the pitch with Silva, who he has also appeared in 50 games for the Portugal national team with.
With that in mind, it’s clear that the midfielder knows exactly what Dias offers on the pitch and why he is so important.
Dias has been a key defensive figure for City this season
In terms of his defensive work, the centre-back has made more clearances (73) and interceptions (25) than any other City player in the Premier League this season, as well as having the joint-highest total of blocks (30).
This backs up Silva’s point about his fellow countryman being able to pull off a crucial piece of defensive work if needed to help stop his side from conceding.
