avid Josué Jiménez Silva ( born 8 January 1986) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for English club Manchester City. Silva plays mainly as a central or an attacking midfielder but can also play as a winger or second striker. He is predominantly a left-footed player and his passing ability and possession-retaining qualities have earned him the nicknames "Merlin" and "El Mago" from his teammates and fans, and he is considered by many to be one of the best midfielders in Europe. Silva spent six years of his professional career with Valencia CF, appearing in more than 150 games and winning one Copa del Rey in 2008, before moving in the summer of 2010 to Manchester City. Since joining City, Silva has appeared in over 300 matches and is in his eighth season at the club. He has won the FA Cup, three League Cups and three Premier League titles. He is regarded as one of Manchester City's greatest ever players alongside Billy Meredith, Bert Trautmann, Colin Bell and Sergio Agüero. Silva also represented Spain, from his debut for the senior team in 2006 until his international retirement in 2018. He started his international career at the age of 20. He is one of eleven Spanish players to have amassed 100 caps and has scored 35 goals, making him the fourth highest goalscorer in Spain's history. He was an integral member of the squads that won three consecutive international tournaments – UEFA Euro 2008, the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and UEFA Euro 2012.