Who is Bernardo Silva? Try to keep up with Man City’s £43m all-action hero who just never stops
Bernardo Silva has been one of the most important players in Manchester City’s remarkable success in recent years.
Signed to lead Pep Guardiola‘s revamp after an underwhelming first season, Bernardo Silva has been the driving force behind Manchester City‘s dominance in England.
As one of Guardiola’s most trusted generals on the pitch, Bernardo always delivers on the big occasions with tireless performances or decisive goals. Sometimes even both.
Now it’s time to learn even more about City’s all-action hero as we answer your most frequently asked questions.
How old is Bernardo Silva?
Bernardo Mota Veiga de Carvalho e Silva was born on August 10, 1994, in Lisbon, Portugal.
As of April 2024, he is 29 years old.
Bernardo Silva height and weight
Bernardo Silva stands at 5 feet and 6 inches tall, is left footed and weighs 64kg, according to TNT Sport.
Despite his slight stature, Bernado is not afraid to get stuck into his opponents and it actually helps him repeatedly outrun everyone else on the pitch.
Who is Bernardo Silva’s wife?
Bernardo Silva is married to Ines Tomaz after the pair tied the knot in July 2023.
According to The Sun, Bernardo and Tomaz were married at a vineyard estate in the Douro Valley in Portugal.
Teammates Kyle Walker, Riyad Mahrez, Ruben Dias, Joao Cancelo and Joao Felix all attended the wedding.
Tomaz, a model from Lisbon, gave birth to their first child, a daughter named Carlota, according to Hello!, in August last year.
“It’s a dream come true being a father,” Bernardo told Hello!. “It’s a moment that changes your life.
“From that moment there is a new, most important thing in your life.
“Greeting her when I get back home from games and training sessions is always a moment of happiness and joy, and mostly forgetting about everything else and just focusing on being happy with her.”
Bernardo Silva Instagram and X accounts
Bernardo Silva has an official Instagram account with 4.8 million followers.
He also has an official X, formerly known as Twitter, account which is followed by 1.5 million people.
Bernardo Silva salary and contract
Bernardo Silva is one of Manchester City’s biggest earners as he is paid a salary of £300,00 per week.
He signed a new deal in August 2023 which sees him earn £15.6m a year before tax and puts him joint third with Jack Grealish in City’s most-paid player list. Only Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland earn more.
Silva’s Man City contract is not set to expire until June 30, 2026.
Who has Bernardo Silva played for?
Bernardo Silva first joined boyhood club Benfica when he was just eight years old and rose through the academy ranks to the first team.
He initially played for the B team in Portugal’s second division before making his debut at 19.
However, he wouldn’t play many matches for the club he supports before leaving for pastures new.
- Benfica B – 2013-2015
- Benfica – 2013-2015
- Monaco, loan – 2014-15
- Monaco – 2015-2017
- Manchester City – 2017-Present
How much did Bernardo Silva cost Man City?
Manchester City paid a fee of £43m to sign Bernardo Silva from Monaco in 2017.
City already knew first-hand just how good Bernardo was as he played a key role in knocking Guardiola’s side out of the Champions League the previous season.
What position does Bernardo Silva play for Man City?
Bernardo Silva is a rarity in the world of football as he is completely capable of playing in almost every position on the pitch.
Though predominantly an attacking midfielder, he mostly plays out on the right flank but has also played on the left, up-front, centre-midfield and defensive midfield for Guardiola.
Thanks to his excellent stamina it often seems like he’s playing multiple roles at once and Bernardo has previous for covering significant ground in matches.
In 2019, he ran a staggering 13.7km in a single match against Liverpool.
Has Bernardo Silva played left-back?
Bernardo is so versatile that, yes, he has even played left-back before.
City were struggling for options at left-back during the 2022/23 season so Bernardo was tasked with filling in on a few occasions.
When asked about playing the position, he said, via the Manchester Evening News: “I’m not going to lie, it’s very tough.
“When you play those positions you have to have a defenders’ mentality.
“You lose a little bit your offensive thinking and what you do with the ball. You are more focused on not making mistakes and defending well, occupying the spaces.
“It’s been challenging but it’s been nice. It’s a good challenge.
“I love challenges and I try to help the team as much as possible in the games we have won. Important games and we need to keep going.”
Bernardo Silva stats
Bernardo Silva Man City career stats
| Season | Appearances | Goals | Assists | Yellow cards | Red cards | Minutes played |
| 2017/18 | 53 | 9 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 2,795 |
| 2018/19 | 51 | 13 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 4,025 |
| 2019/20 | 52 | 8 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 3,329 |
| 2020/21 | 45 | 5 | 9 | 8 | 0 | 3,319 |
| 2021/22 | 50 | 13 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 3,948 |
| 2022/23 | 55 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 3,601 |
| 2023/24 | 49 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 0 | 3,797 |
| TOTAL | 355 | 66 | 66 | 42 | 0 | 24,814 |
Bernardo Silva pre-Man City stats
| Club | Appearances | Goals | Assists | Yellow cards | Red cards | Minutes played |
| Monaco | 147 | 28 | 19 | 15 | 0 | 10,561 |
| Benfica | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 |
| Benfica B | 38 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2,993 |
Bernardo Silva international stats for Portugal
| Caps | Goals | Assists | Yellow cards | Red cards | Minutes played |
| 88 | 11 | 29 | 5 | 0 | 5,969 |
Bernardo Silva trophies and honours
Man City trophies won
- Champions League – 2022/23
- Six Premier League titles – 2023/24, 2022/23, 2021/22, 2020/21, 2018/19, 2017/18
- Club World Cup – 2024
- UEFA Super Cup – 2022/23
- Two FA Cups – 2023, 2019
- Four League Cups – 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2016
- Two Community Shields – 2019/20, 2018/19
Monaco trophies won
- Ligue 1 title – 2016/17
Benfica trophies won
- Primeira Liga title – 2013/14
- Portuguese Cup – 2013/14
- Portuguese League Cup – 2013/14
International trophies won
- UEFA Nations League – 2019
Individual honours
- Segunda Liga Breakthrough Player of the Year – 2013–14
- SJPF Segunda Liga Player of the Month – October 2013, December 2013 & January 2014
- UEFA European Under-19 Championship Team of the Tournament – 2013
- UEFA European Under-21 Championship Team of the Tournament – 2015
- UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Month – January 2017
- UNFP Ligue 1 Team of the Year – 2016–17
- PFA Team of the Year – 2018–19 Premier League, 2021–22 Premier League
- Manchester City Player of the Year – 2018–19
- Manchester City Goal of the Season – 2022
- Alan Hardaker Trophy – 2019
- UEFA Nations League Finals Player of the Tournament – 2019
- UEFA Nations League Finals Team of the Tournament – 2019
- IFFHS Men’s World Team – 2019
- ESM Team of the Year – 2021–22
- UEFA Champions League Team of the Season – 2022–23
- FIFA FIFPro World XI – 2023
Bernardo Silva squad number
Bernardo Silva wears No.20 for Manchester City and has done so since signing for the club.
He tends to wear No.10 for Portugal.
Does Bernardo Silva want to leave Manchester City?
Bernardo Silva has been repeatedly linked with a move away from Manchester City in recent years.
In fact, Bernardo himself even admitted he requested to leave the club in 2022 after growing homesick during the pandemic.
He told The Times: “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 team-mates’ 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 team-mates, 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.”
Barcelona, PSG and Saudi Arabia rumours
Barcelone and PSG were the two clubs most heavily linked with a move for Bernardo while ESPN reported Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal offered him £5000,00-a-week to join.
But, according to the Manchester Evening News, no acceptable bids were ever made for him.
If there was, City likely would have allowed him to leave as they have done with the likes of Raheem Sterling, Leroy Sane and Gabriel Jesus in recent years
Bernardo seemingly ended speculation surrounding his future by signing a new contract last summer that runs until 2026.
However, Barcelona are still reportedly keen on signing him and forward Joao Felix recently told Jijantes: “I hope Barca will go and sign Bernardo Silva. He’s a top player and top guy”
Bernardo Silva release clause
Additionally, PSG are still touted with interest and French outlet Le10Sport reports Bernardo’s new deal includes a £50m release clause which comes into effect on July 1.
Guardiola made it clear he wants him to stay when speaking in a post-match press conference in March.
“Everybody loves him and we want him, even though the goals are deflections”, Guardiola said.
“Yeah, [he’s] really important for us and staying with us is really, really important.
“I’ve said many times how important, personally and in terms of football Bernardo [Silva] is.”
Are Bernardo Silva and David Silva brothers?
No, they are not. Bernardo and Manchester City legend David Silva may share surnames but they are not brothers.
They are not even from the same country as David Silva is Spanish. Silva is the most common Portuguese surname with countless footballers sharing it and it’s frequent in Spain as well.
Bernardo Silva song
Mancheanchester City supporters sing a catchy chant in honour of Bernardo Silva to the tune of Voulez-Vous by Abba.
The lyrics are:
Bernardo (Silva!),
Running down the wing (Silva!),
Makes the blue boys sing (Silva!),
We’re all going to Istanbul!
