Guardiola's high praise for David Silva: 'He's one of the best players I've trained'

Pep Guardiola has called David Silva ‘one of the best players I’ve trained’ following the Manchester City midfielder’s match-winning contribution against Hoffenheim.

City won 2-1 in Germany in the Champions League on Tuesday, with Silva grabbing the winner in the 87th minute.

The Spanish playmaker nipped in sharply to dispossess Hoffenheim’s Stefan Posch, before rifling the ball into the back of the net to secure all three points for the Premier League champions.

The 32-year-old has been a fixture in the starting XI for Guardiola's men once again at the start of the 2018-19 campaign and will no doubt be vital to the team's continued success over the next few months.

City are top of the Premier League after seven games and are now off the mark with their first points in Europe, after surprisingly losing their matchday one opener against Lyon.

Speaking after the game against Hoffenheim, Guardiola singled out Silva for praise, expressing his belief that the midfielder is one of the best in the business.

When asked by reporters if he wants City to win the Champions League to complete Silva's list of honours at the highest level, the Spaniard replied : "I think everyone deserves to win it. He won the World Cup, and Euros - he wants to win it but you don’t just win with desire.

"He's one of the best players I've trained. I've had a lot at Barca and Bayern but he's on that list.

“I love players who make a step forward in the bad moments and say 'OK I'm here guys'."

City return to Premier League action on Sunday in a vital showdown with Liverpool at Anfield, which will see the top two teams in England go head to head.

Silva is highly likely to feature from the start against the Reds and supporters will hope he can continue to deliver the goods to help drive the team towards a crucial three points.

Jurgen Klopp's side have established themselves as a credible threat to City's title defence in the opening two months of the season and this weekend's game represents a huge chance for them to gain a lead on their rivals.