Lee Kang-in’s Valencia teammate and Manchester City legend David Silva is retiring from soccer after an untimely injury.

David Silva officially announced his retirement from soccer on his social media accounts on Monday (Aug. 28).온라인카지노

“I am a lucky man to be able to do what I love most: play soccer and play with the best players, colleagues and friends,” Silva said. “I am sad that I will not be able to help Sociedad in this exciting season. But I’m happy for what I’ve experienced over the years,” he concluded.

“First of all, I arrived at the Valencia Academy at the age of 14, had beautiful loan spells with Eibar and Celta Vigo, and won the Copa del Rey with Valencia. Then I had a beautiful 10 years at Manchester City. I enjoyed great successes such as the Premier League, the FA Cup and the League Cup, and my heart is forever with City, it has always been a special club.”

Born in 1986, Silva left his hometown club Arsenal in 2000 to join Valencia’s academy. He progressed steadily there and signed a professional contract in the summer of 2004. After loan spells at Eibar and Celta Vigo, he returned to Valencia, where he scored 32 goals and provided 36 assists in 168 games between 2006/07 and 2009/10.

An attacking midfielder who was highly influential in the attacking third with his accurate passing, reading of space and dribbling, Silva moved to Manchester City in the summer of 2010 and helped the club win the Premier League for the first time in 66 years in 2011/12.

In 10 seasons with the club through 2019/20, Silva scored 77 goals and provided 140 assists in 436 games, winning four Premier League titles, two FA Cups, and five League Cups. Along with Sergio Aguero and Vincent Kompany, he is credited with turning City into a big club and is honored with a statue in front of their home Etihad Stadium.

In addition to his time at City, Silva was also a standout for the Spanish national team. He was part of Spain’s golden era, winning three consecutive major tournaments starting with Euro 2008, followed by the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and Euro 2012.

After saying goodbye to City, Silva moved to his current club Real Sociedad in the summer of 2020. Despite being in his mid-30s, he has excelled as a first-team regular, playing 20 games and over 1500 minutes in the league. In his last season at Sociedad, he scored seven goals and provided 18 assists in 93 games.

Silva is set to play in the 2023/24 season as well. The veteran played a key role in the club’s fourth-place finish last season, which earned them a UEFA Champions League ticket. In May, Silva signed a one-year contract extension through the summer of 2024.

However, Silva’s plans were derailed when he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury during a recent preseason game. As a result, he was forced to retire due to the major injury.

“I’m finishing my career in San Sebastian (Real Sociedad), a place that has always felt like home,” Silva said. I’m sure the team and staff are giving everything to bring us great results, like winning the Copa del Rey and qualifying for the Champions League,” he told his teammates.