Wednesday 6 September 2017 17:05, UK
Bernardo Silva faces a challenge to adapt to the Premier League but it might not be long before Manchester City supporters see him at his best. Here's why the little Portuguese playmaker could become crucial for Pep Guardiola's side sooner rather than later.
Bernardo Silva's arrival at Manchester City did not generate too many column inches but he is arguably the most exciting of their summer recruits. The £43m midfielder provided a consistent stream of goals and assists in his three years at Monaco, and City experienced his quality first-hand when he dumped them out of the Champions League last season.
Pep Guardiola was so desperate to sign Silva that the deal was agreed before the transfer window had even opened, but it has been a gradual introduction to the Premier League so far. The 23-year-old was named on the bench against Brighton and Everton, and when he made his full debut at Bournemouth last weekend, he was substituted with a quarter of the game still to play.
There have been positive signs, but the accepted wisdom is that adapting to English football could be tough for a player who stands at 5ft 8ins and weighs in at just 10 stone. "It's a very different league from the French one, from what I was used to," he said last week. "It's true that it's very physical. In my opinion sometimes it is too much but I need to get used to it."
Bournemouth will not be the last Premier League side who attempt to unsettle the Portuguese international with rough treatment and heavy tackles, but Guardiola insists Silva is a "fighter" who is up to the challenge. Looking back to the early years of his career, it is easy to understand why.
Silva was regarded as one of the most naturally talented players in his age group in the youth ranks at Benfica. But while his technical skills were unmatched, there were plenty of doubts around his physical stature. "I was playing there when he was a young player," former Portugal striker Nuno Gomes, who now works as Benfica's academy manager, tells Sky Sports.
During his youth career, there were some times when he struggled to play in the first XI because of his size. We could see he had great talent, but he was not as strong as the other boys.
"Bernardo was made in our academy. He is one of the most talented players we have ever developed. But during his youth career, there were some times when he struggled to play in the first XI because of his size. We could see he had great talent, but he was not as strong as the other boys."
Silva had to fight for his place from an early age, showing bravery and determination and using his speed and dribbling ability to evade larger opponents. By the age of 19, he had proved the sceptics wrong to become a key figure in Benfica's B team. When he was named breakout star of the season in Portugal's second tier in 2014, it seemed he was ready to make the step up to the senior squad.
In the end, the stumbling block was Jorge Jesus. The veteran manager felt he had enough attacking midfielders and told Silva he would be used as a left-back instead. It proved a costly error for Benfica. Silva elected to join Monaco after only a handful of senior appearances for his boyhood club.
In France, Silva had to prove himself all over again. The youngster had hardly played top-flight football let alone Champions League, but by December he was an undisputed starter in Leonardo Jardim's side. He finished his first campaign with nine goals and three assists in 32 league appearances. Monaco happily paid £12m to make his move permanent.
Silva's second year was more difficult due to injury problems and a disrupted pre-season, but his determination never wavered. In 2016/17, he responded with the best campaign of his career. Kylian Mbappe was Monaco's star, but it was Silva who made them tick, creating more chances from open play, making more final-third passes and completing more dribbles than any of his team-mates.
Silva is best known for those attacking qualities, but from Benfica's academy to Jardim's Monaco, his career has been defined by hard work. Guardiola calls it "personality". On the pitch, it translates to tireless chasing and pressing. He may be small, but Silva won 189 duels last season - more than every City midfielder except the defensively-minded Fernandinho.
"Even when he doesn't score or make a decisive pass he is important," said Monaco team-mate Fabinho last season, "he brings a lot and puts opposing defenders in difficulty." Jardim agreed. "I am happy that in these three years I have been able to help him progress and become stronger than when he arrived from Benfica B," said the Monaco manager in May.
The combination of style and steel is what makes Silva special. "It is very unusual for such a technically proficient and creative player to also be such a non-stop hard worker," Portuguese football expert Tom Kundert tells Sky Sports. "He is anything but the luxury player you might expect of someone as brilliantly skilled as him."
Instead, he has turned his physical limitations into a strength. What Silva lacks in size, he makes up for in determination and work-rate. "Despite his slight frame he does not shy away at all from physical contact," says Kundert. "That's sure to stand him in good stead in the Premier League. He's perfect for the high-paced modern game."
Silva will hope for a chance to show it when City host Liverpool on Saturday. If recent meetings are anything to go by, it will be another breathless and fiercely-contested encounter. The kind of encounter, in other words, in which Silva is more than capable of holding his own. "Bernardo is proving that size doesn't matter," says Nuno Gomes. "Soon you will see how talented he is."
