Family issues ensured last term was hard for the Spaniard, but his boss did his best to make things as simple as possible for him
David Silva hailed Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola as a "fantastic human" for the understanding he showed in allowing the midfielder to take time off last season following the premature birth of his son.
Silva missed several City matches around the turn of the year in order to travel home to spend time with family after his new-born son Mateo fell seriously ill.
Although it was a difficult moment in his life, Silva was given the freedom to do whatever he felt he needed to by Guardiola, missing some key matches as a result.