The City captain has confirmed that his nine-year stay at the Etihad Stadium will come to an end when his contract expires this summer.

Silva joined City in 2017 and has been a pivotal figure in the club's success under the management of Pep Guardiola - winning 19 honours in all, including six Premier League titles and the Champions League in 2023.

The Portuguese midfielder's 451 appearances for the club are the most by any City player since Guardiola took charge a decade ago.

In a statement posted on social media, Silva said: "When I arrived nine years ago, I was following a dream of a little boy, wanting to succeed in life, wanting to achieve great things. This city and this club gave me much more than that. What we won and achieved together is a legacy that will forever be cherished in my heart. The centurions [the 100-point title-winners of 2017-18], the domestic quadruple, the treble, the four in a row and much more – it wasn’t that bad."

Silva declared that he will be a "Man City supporter for life" and is determined to add to his collection of silverware with City still harbouring aspirations to win the Premier League and FA Cup this season.

He said: "To the fans, your unconditional support throughout the years is something that I will never forget. My main goal as a player was to always play with passion so you guys could feel proud and well represented on the pitch. I arrived as a Man City player, I leave as one more of you, a Man City supporter for life. Keep supporting this young team and I’m pretty sure they will bring you a lot of new fantastic memories in the future.

"To the club, Pep, the staff and all my teammates these nine years, thank you for all the memories and for letting me be a part of this journey for so long. The atmosphere we created every day in the training ground made me feel at home and a part of a big family. Let’s enjoy these last weeks and fight for what this season still brings us."