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Bruno’s glowing tribute to David Silva

Albion coach pays tribute to former Valencia teammate after his final Manchester City match.

By Alex Stedman • 17 August 2020

By Paul Hazlewood
Albion coach Bruno at the Amex Stadium.

Former Albion defender Bruno has praised David Silva's contribution to English football following the midfielder’s last game for Manchester City on Saturday evening.

The Spaniard was an 84th minute substitute in the 3-1 defeat to Lyon as he made his last appearance for Pep Guardiola's men ten years after making the switch from Valencia, where he shared a field with the former Seagulls full-back.

“On the pitch it was a pleasure to play next to him. We all know his quality and how well he sees the game,” Bruno said.

“He makes every single player next to him better and that’s what you’re looking for from big players.

By Paul Hazlewood
David Silva takes on Dan Burn last August.

“Off the field, he’s one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met and whenever we play against one another we have a good chat after the match. Both of us know one another’s families and it’s always a pleasure.

“He’s been at Manchester City such a long time – one of the keys to succeeding anywhere you go is how good you are at adapting to new challenges and cultures.

“He’s played for ten years in the best league in the world and that shows how good he is.

“It’s been under different managers and with different styles, but he’s always been in the starting 11. That shows the type of player and person we’re talking about.”

By Paul Hazlewood
David Silva takes on fellow Spaniard Martin Montoya at the Etihad.

The pair shared the changing room at the Mestalla during the 2009/10 season, as Unai Emery’s men finished an impressive third in La Liga.

Valencia qualified for the UEFA Champions League in the process and also reached the last eight of the Europa League.

“We had a good season that year, and David had a really good campaign,” Bruno added.

“We had such a good squad – he played in the number ten role and provided a lot of assists, as well as the eight goals he managed.

“We finished third just behind Barcelona and Real Madrid, and we always competed against the big teams.

By Paul Hazlewood
David Silva in action against Albion in the club's first-ever Premier League game at the Amex.

“There were some big names in the side - Juan Mata, David Villa, Vicente and so on, managed by Unai Emery.

“It was a really good team and a great manager. For me it was really special, to share every day with them was fantastic.

“We changed the style once he left, Juan Mata was sometimes playing as a ten, but we changed it slightly and played with two strikers – Roberto Soldado and Aritz Aduriz.

“We were a bit more direct, but it’s almost impossible for a club like Valencia to replace a player like David Silva.”