David Silva is one of the most influential midfielders of his generation. The Spaniard has impressed many fans across the ball with his superior technique over the ball and terrific vision on the soccer pitch.
The 38-year-old’s unbelievable artistry on the pitch helped him to become an important player in both the English and Spanish leagues. An icon of the sport, David Silva was a revered figure amongst soccer fans for his simplicity and amiable nature.
A Guard of Honour from both Real Sociedad and Real Madrid for David Silva.
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It is safe to say that, David Silva has little to no enemies in the world of soccer. This was evident on matchday 33 of La Liga 23/24 when Real Sociedad hoisted Real Madrid at Reale Arena.
The home team had decided to give their former player, David Silva a fitting guard of honor to commemorate his illustrious career. Surprisingly, Real Madrid too joined hands with the home team to pay tribute to the former Manchester City player. A similar kind of guard of honor was also given to David Silva by Valencia, one of his former clubs in December 2023.
The entire Reale Arena too stood up on their feet to give David Silva a standing ovation. At the end of the ceremony, David Silva featured in a group photo with the Sociedad players before the kickoff. Fans on the internet have applauded the efforts of the Real Madrid players who paid their tributes to their opposition’s legend.
David Silva retired from professional soccer in July 2023
The Spaniard put an end to his 20-year-long illustrious career to an end the past year, after battling with fitness issues. The 38-year-old suffered a serious knee injury in the preseason training which forced him to announce his retirement from professional soccer in July 2023.
David Silva made his retirement through an emotional Instagram video, where he reflected upon his entire soccer career. He said, “Today is a sad day for me, Today it is time to say goodbye to what I have dedicated my whole life to.“Today it is time to say goodbye to my colleagues, who are like family to me. I will miss you very much.” He also thanked the soccer fans who according to Silva made him feel at home.
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The 38-year-old has been a key player for many clubs in Spain including Real Sociedad, Valencia, Celta Vigo, and SD Eibar. However, it was at Manchester City where David Silva acquired legendary status.
The Spaniard was a loyal servant of ‘The Cityzens’ playing for the English club for a decade, winning 4 Premier League titles in the process. David Silva was also part of one of the greatest Spanish teams of all time, which won two Euros in 2008 and 2012 and a FIFA World Cup in 2010.
Arda Guler’s winner hands Real Madrid an important win
However, David Silva’s tribute could not motivate the Sociedad players who stretched their winless streak in La Liga to 3. The home team suffered a great heartbreak after Real Madrid’s Arda Guler scored the only goal of the game in the 29th minute. This was the Turkish player’s first-ever start for ‘Los Blancos’ and he capped it off with a brilliant goal.
Real Sociedad were presented with many chances to change the outcome of the game, however, were pretty wasteful in front of the goal. The home team was very unlucky too, as two of their goals would be disallowed later on.
With the win, Real Madrid cemented their lead over the rest of the Spanish teams in the La Liga table. ‘Los Blancos’ are now only a few more wins away from clinching the La Liga trophy, as at the end of matchday 33, Real Madrid (84) have a 14-point lead over FC Barcelona with 70 points.
As for Real Sociedad, the loss will take a huge toll on their European ambitions for the next season. The team which is 6th in La Liga has 51 points and is three points ahead of Athletic Bilbao who have played one less game. It would be interesting to see what the La Liga table looks like at the end of the 23/24 season.
