Manchester City playmaker Bernardo Silva has revealed why he requested to leave the club last summer and insists that his decision had nothing to do with his love for the fans and his teammates.
The 27-year-old was strongly linked with a departure from the Etihad Stadium before the 2021-22 campaign began; however, the Portugal international stayed put and has since excelled for the Citizens in all competitions.
Speaking in an interview with The Times, Silva has explained how the coronavirus pandemic affected his mental wellbeing and that it was one of the main reasons for him wanting to leave City last summer.
"People suffered much more than us but for me it was tough because I was far away from my family. Before I used to go to Portugal for a couple of days and have dinner with my mum and dad. It was just dinner but you're with your parents so it's nice. To not be able to do that was difficult.
"It was not a nice moment to be honest. For a while I was alone in my flat. Later my girlfriend came. It was bad for everyone. I could see in my teammates' faces that it was tough for them too."
"I was feeling a little bit alone at the time in England and I wasn't very happy with my life. And if you're not happy, you don't do your job as well as you do when you are happy. I was well physically, but if you don't do your job with a smile on your face, you're not going to do it as well.
"I had a talk with the club because I wasn't happy with my life here, and I wanted to be closer to my family. But it had nothing to do with the club. I love Manchester City. I love my teammates, I love the fans, I love the club. Afterwards, nothing happened. I stayed, and I will always give my best for this club as long as I stay here."
Silva, who is under contract at the Etihad until June 2025, has also revealed that he intends to negotiate his future with the club at the end of the season.
"At the end of the season, I'm going to sit down with City and see what's best for both sides. We're in the middle of the season and we want to win a lot of important trophies," the playmaker added.
"We can win all three of them, or zero, or one. Now is not a good time to talk about [my future]."
Silva has scored 10 goals and provided three assists in 35 appearances for Man City this term, and only compatriot Joao Cancelo has played in more matches across all competitions for the Citizens so far this season.
Oliver Thomas
