Who doesn’t love David Silva? Even the most ardent rival supporter would struggle not to admit that he is a joy to watch.
Jesus Navas has admitted to the Premier League’s official Twitter account that he idolised his Manchester City team-mate David Silva before joining him at the Etihad.
The chalk-booted wide man arrived on English shores from Sevilla in the summer of 2013, by which time the inherently gifted Silva had already lifted the Premier League title and the FA Cup as the blue moon started to rise above their now usurped city rivals.
The former Valencia play-maker immediately captured the hearts of the neutrals with his sublime close control and ability to carve open even the tightest defence with a flick of his wand of a left-boot, though one of his biggest admirers was located in the dressing room rather than the terraces.
While Silva’s timeless class has maintained his position at the forefront of City’s gameplan under Pep Guardiola, Navas has never threatened to hit the heights of his exalted compatriot in his three previous Premier League campaigns.
His underwhelming predictability, and galling penchant of smashing hopeful crosses into the closest possible defender, means he has become a figure of frustration among City supporters that have grown used to a much more varied attacking strategy from their otherwise multi-purpose forward players.
Furthermore, the 30-year-old is without a Premier League goal since a 4-2 win against Cardiff City in January 2014, a remarkable drought for a player flanked by so much creative talent.
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