Man City legend David Silva comes out of retirement aged 40 to join Hong Kong side Sha Tin

Manchester City legend David Silva has come out of retirement to sign for Sha Tin in Hong Kong.

'I'm so excited to go to Hong Kong and enjoy the local culture, the food in Sha Tin and, of course, football in Hong Kong,' he said in an Instagram video announcing the move.

The club, meanwhile, said: 'David Silva will be in Hong Kong soon to settle in, link up with squad training, and build up to peak match fitness before making his pitch debut.'

The 40-year-old, who was part of Spain's 2010 World Cup-winning squad, had ended his career in the summer of 2023 after sustaining a serious knee injury while in preseason training with Real Sociedad in Spain.

Silva spent ten years at Manchester City between 2010 and 2020, where he won 11 major honours; four Premier League titles, two FA Cups and five League Cups. Much of that time period, though, is now under scrutiny.

He announced his retirement from football at 37 three years ago after damaging his ACL in pre-season training.

The Real Sociedad midfielder posted a message on social media with the caption 'Thank you very much football' to confirm the end of his career.

‘Today is a sad day for me,' Silva wrote. ‘Today it is time to say goodbye to what I have dedicated my whole life to.

‘Today it is time to say goodbye to my colleagues, who are like a family to me. I will miss you very much.’

Manchester City paid tribute to their former midfielder, stating that he will be remembered as 'one of the greatest players in City’s history'.