Bernardo Silva said: “He’s been really, really good. Today he was unbelievable in my opinion. Sometimes your first season at City is not easy. For me it wasn’t, for example, for Riyad Mahrez it wasn’t easy as well. Sometimes it takes time ands now he’s doing well and I’m happy for him. He deserves it.”
Bernardo also opened up on how the City squad helped Grealish through a difficult first season, saying that there is sometimes an unfair expectation that midfield signings can hit the ground running at the Etihad.
Bernardo Silva revealed: “We talk about these kind of things and people just think that you’re going to come into one of the best teams in the world and you’re going to start every game and be the best player on the pitch every game. It just doesn’t work that way. The manager demands a lot from the players, it’s a different style of play from most of the other teams, so you have to get used to it and now he’s been here for quite a long time. He’s used to it and he’s doing well. It’s tough and when you have tough moments you just keep going. That’s what it is for all the players. There’s not one player in the world who can be at the top of their game for their whole career. I’ve had my difficult moments as well. You just accept it and keep going. That’s how it is. Jack accepted it like you have to and now he overcame it, he’s doing really well and I’m happy for him and happy for the team especially. When he’s in this form it’s really good for all of us.”
There was also praise for Grealish from defender Manu Akanji, who highlighted the forward’s vital interception moments before setting up Julian Alvarez to equalise vs Liverpool.
Bernardo Silva said: “Right before we made it 1-1 it was big from Jack that he ran all the way back and interrupted the play on the counter attack of them and then we scored. He’s an offensive player but that is exactly what we want from the team. Everyone runs back, even the players up front. We work as a unit offensively and defensively and we showed that today That is what we expect from a player like Jack and the other players in the rest of our team. We work together. We did well today. For us as players at the back, we know that we can always play the ball to him and he is so good at keeping that ball, bringing it inside and then maybe changing the side to Riyad, plays passes in between, and he is really good in doing that. Jack is a great guy, in the dressing room and on the pitch and he showed it today. That is what we need from him. I really like him off the pitch. He is a great person as well and if he continues to play like this he will be great for us.”
