SOCCER - A.Klagenfurt vs Southampton, test match KLAGENFURT,AUSTRIA,18.JUL.22 - SOCCER - ADMIRAL Bundesliga, Premier League, SK Austria Klagenfurt vs FC Southampton, test match. Image shows a ball. PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxAUTxSUIxSWE GEPAxpictures/xFlorianxMori

On June 30th, 2010 Manchester City completed the signing of David Silva from Valencia. The then 24-year-old who just won the World Cup was signed to become a part of the building process under manager Roberto Mancini.

Fast forward a year later and they sign one of the deadliest young strikers in football, Sergio Aguero.

Then 23, he had already scored 103 goals in La Liga with Atletico Madrid and was identified by City as the striker they needed to help take this new squad to greater heights with his goals.

Fast forward eight years and these two players have done exactly what was expected of them and then some.

David Silva and Sergio Aguero have been an integral part of the Manchester City team for the last decade or so. They have played a pivotal role in the creation of a culture and a mentality in the blue half of Manchester that has seen them attain an unprecedented amount of success.

Recently, in a match against Bournemouth on Sunday, both players reached huge milestones with Aguero scoring his 400th goal and David Silva providing him with the assist on his 400th appearance for the Club.

That goal meant they have combined for 27 Premier League goals, the third most goals in that regard behind the combo of Thierry Henry and Robert Pires (29) and that of Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba (36).

It’s a remarkable stat for them considering the fact that as a pairing they don’t get as much praise.

Aguero has scored 168 league goals which makes him 6th on the all-time list. Maybe Alan Shearer’s 260 may be too far off for him but you could still make a case for him to end his career with 200 league goals.

For a player to score over a century of goals for two different teams is something extraordinary.

Sergio Aguero has been consistently one of the best strikers in world football and one of the best in the League with a golden boot to show for it but with him you get the sense that other players in his position tend to generate more hype around them if they do the same as or even less than the Argentine.

The above poll reiterates what I’m saying.

David Silva also has the same issue. Although he is undoubtedly one of the best midfielders in the league, he has never been regarded on his own as the best of them all.

David Silva’s 84 league assists make him 8th in the all-time assist rankings and he is 4th all-time in passes completed with 15,199 passes. Truly a remarkable player.

With the evolution and increased intensity of football, the Spaniard could have been one of those affected by the sheer intensity of the game like Mesut Özil for example but he evolved himself, adapted to the style of football and dominated.

David Silva leaves the league this season after ten illustrious years at the City and he will want to end it with more trophies. Quite frankly he could play till he is 40 with his brains. He doesn’t really need to go, does he?

His underrated class will be sorely missed as he has been a joy to watch for fans and neutrals everywhere.

Aguero still has a few years to keep playing at the club and increase his goal tally as well as adding to his trophy cabinet.

These two players undoubtedly will go down as two of the best ever players to play football in their generation. Their imprint on their team and the league, in general, has been substantial and watching them has been a pleasure.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR