Manchester City and Spain legend David Silva announced his retirement on Thursday, one week after suffering a serious knee injury. “Today is a sad day for me,” Silva stated in a video shared on his social media accounts. He added, “It is time to say goodbye to what I have dedicated my whole life to.”
After helping Real Sociedad finish 4th in Spain’s La Liga last season, he has been preparing for another UEFA Champions League campaign. He damaged the ACL in his left knee during training last week. Silva is among an elite group of Spaniards who have played on title-winning squads from the 2008 European Championship, the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012.
He scored the first goal in that 2012 final, a header in a 4-0 defeat of Italy in Kyiv. It was perhaps the peak of Spain’s dominance, playing the high-tempo, possession-based style known as tiki-taka. Silva has won 4 English Premier League titles with Manchester City, where there is a statue of him outside the stadium.