David Silva ends retirement at 40 to join Hong Kong club Sha Tin

David Silva has ended his retirement at the age of 40 to join Sha Tin in the Hong Kong Premier League, BBC Sport reported on Wednesday. The former Manchester City and Spain midfielder is returning to football three years after a serious knee injury brought his playing career to a halt at Real Sociedad.

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Sha Tin said Silva would arrive in Hong Kong to settle in, begin training with the squad and work towards match fitness before making his debut. The announcement did not confirm his first appearance. In a video on Instagram, Silva expressed enthusiasm about experiencing Hong Kong’s football, local culture and food during his stay.

The club are eighth in the league after four matches, according to the BBC, and their next fixture is against Hong Kong Football Club on Sunday, 18 October. That is the team’s scheduled return to action, rather than a confirmed debut date for Silva, whose preparation will begin with joining his new team-mates in training.

Silva retired in 2023 after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament during pre-season work with Real Sociedad. Manchester City’s account of his retirement records that he had moved to the Spanish club in 2020, following a decade in Manchester. The Hong Kong move now follows that injury-enforced retirement, which came when the midfielder was 37.

City’s official record credits Silva with 436 appearances and 77 goals for the club, including the opening goal in their 6-0 victory over Watford in the 2019 FA Cup final. His honours in Manchester included four Premier League titles, two FA Cups and five League Cups. The club also recognised his contribution with a statue outside the Etihad Stadium.

His international record adds another substantial body of experience to Sha Tin’s squad. City’s retirement tribute lists 125 appearances for Spain, with Silva part of the teams that won the 2010 World Cup and the European Championships in 2008 and 2012. He arrives in Hong Kong having previously played club football for Valencia, Manchester City and Real Sociedad.