<\/p>\n
Bernardo Silva believes it is time for a new generation to take the lead at Manchester City.<\/p>\n
The 31-year-old City captain will leave the Etihad Stadium after nine trophy-laden years when his contract expires at the end of the season, with manager Pep Guardiola reportedly also set to depart<\/a> in a seismic change for the club.<\/p>\n Get all the latest football news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Sign up now!!!<\/a><\/b><\/i><\/p>\n Tuesday\u2019s 1-1 draw at Bournemouth<\/a> ended City\u2019s bid to win the Premier League title, with Arsenal crowned champions as a result<\/a>, but the club have won both the League Cup and FA Cup this season.<\/p>\n In a farewell interview with the club\u2019s website, Silva thanked Guardiola and said the side had been unlucky not to win more Champions League titles.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s never enough, but I feel that we won a lot, our generation,\u201d said Silva. \u201cI feel that also it\u2019s time for these young guys to have their moment.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd for me personally, it\u2019s an opportunity to go a bit closer to my family… Even though I love the football club and I loved the nine years here, I feel it\u2019s the right moment for me to have a new challenge in my life — it\u2019s going to be good.\u201d <\/p>\n The Portugal midfielder has made 459 appearances for City in total, scoring 76 goals, since joining from Monaco in 2017.<\/p>\n He has won 15 major trophies with the club, including four successive Premier League titles from 2021-2024, the treble featuring the Champions League in 2023 and all four domestic trophies in the 2018\/19 season.<\/p>\n \u201cEven though the Champions League adds something special to it, to win a domestic quadruple was really tough, especially against that Liverpool team,\u201d said Silva.<\/p>\n \u201cBut if I have to choose one, I think the treble because the Champions League for this club — the only one that we won, it edges it a little bit.\u201d <\/p>\n Arsenal crowned champs as City falter | 08:13<\/p>\n Widespread reports have said that Guardiola will stand down after City\u2019s final game at home to Aston Villa on Sunday. Silva said Guardiola had been his \u201cidol\u201d long before he arrived in Manchester.<\/p>\n \u201cWay before I joined Man City, Pep for me was always an inspiration because when he was training Barcelona, that team with the small guys, with Xavi, (Andres) Iniesta, (Lionel) Messi, Pedro,\u201d said Silva.<\/p>\n \u201cI was at the time in Benfica in my academy years where I didn\u2019t play because they thought that I wasn\u2019t big enough, that I wasn\u2019t strong enough.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd me looking at that team and thinking, \u2018these guys, they\u2019re also not big, they\u2019re also not strong. If they can do it, maybe one day I can do it\u2019.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, Pep\u2019s team was always an inspiration for me and then to join the club and to be able to be with him nine years and to be a part of this success, it\u2019s fantastic.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n