The 31-year-old silva was visibly moved as he stepped off the pitch in the 38th and final game of the season. Playing from the start against aston villa, the portuguese international was replaced by mateo kovacic in the 52nd minute, sparking an emotional farewell from both sets of players and the 53,000-strong crowd.

As silva made his way to the dugout, he paused to embrace his teammates before walking through a guard of honor formed by manchester city players and aston villa opponents. The moment was made even more poignant when he shared an emotional hug with pep guardiola, his manager for nine seasons at manchester city, who is also departing the club.

During his nine years at manchester city, silva made 460 appearances, scoring 76 goals and providing 77 assists. His contributions helped the club secure multiple premier league titles and domestic cups, cementing his legacy as one of the most influential players in the club’s modern era.

Eighteen minutes later, teammate john stones also received a standing ovation as he left the pitch in the 77th minute. The english defender, who joined manchester city in 2016 alongside guardiola, marked the end of an era for the sky blues.