Photo: Bernardo Bellotto / Public domain / Wikimedia Commons
Ruben Dias has named Bernardo Silva as the most underrated footballer he has ever played alongside, suggesting the Portuguese midfielder's true influence on Manchester City's success was not fully appreciated until after he left.
Bernardo spent nine seasons at City between 2017 and 2026, appearing in more games under Pep Guardiola than any other player during a period of historic success for the club.
"I think it's fair to say Bernardo," Dias said when asked to identify the most underrated player he had lined up with. "Even though there's a good realisation of everything he's done now and he spent nine years at the club and has just left, I feel like, especially last season, there's a lot of people saying 'oh, he's actually done all this'. Before that it was just 'oh, Bernardo'."
Dias added that the depth of Bernardo's contribution was often overlooked. "I feel like people didn't know how deeply it ran the influence he had on our success so I feel like it's fair to say that in some ways, for a long time, he was underrated."
The comments were made during filming for a Matchday Live feature recorded ahead of City's pre-season fixture against K-League All Stars on Wednesday 5 August in Seoul.
Bernardo was a versatile presence throughout his time at the club, capable of operating as an attacking midfielder, a wide threat, or in a deeper controlling role. He consistently ranked among City's top performers in distance covered and was regarded highly by Guardiola throughout his tenure.