Opinion: Bernardo Silva has it in him to become a serious contender for the Ballon d'Or

Bernardo Silva had been a real revelation last season as Manchester City had another extremely successful domestic season, edging out Liverpool in a historic Premier League title race on their way to a treble. The 24-year-old was signed from AS Monaco in 2017 to bolster their squad depth and from being a fringe player to being an undisputed starter, Silva has come a long way. The Portuguese international, with his phenomenal performances, won over Pep Guardiola's trust and solidified his place in the starting eleven.

His displays garnered appreciation from all around and his coach, Pep labeled him the best player in the Premier league last season ahead of the likes of Sergio Aguero, Raheem Sterling, Sadio Mane, Eden Hazard, Mohamed Salah and many more.

Barring the UEFA Champions League, Silva won every tournament he set his foot in; be it the Premier league, Carabao Cup, FA Cup or the UEFA Nations League for his national team. The Portuguese enjoyed success at club as well as national level and played an important part in both of them. On a personal level, he won the UEFA Nations League Player of the Tournament award. He also won Manchester City's Player of the Season award ahead of Aguero and Sterling.

The 24-year-old scored seven goals and picked up eight assists in the EPL in his 36 appearances for the Sky Blues. He netted four times in the UCL and picked up two more goals in the FA Cup as well.

The Portuguese was quite vital in the UEFA Nations League finals as he set up the only goal in the game for Goncalo Guedes. But when talking about the Cityzen's star, it is not all about statistics, but about the impact he has on City's game. One of the reasons he has cemented his place in Pep's system is because he is a workhorse who possesses great vision, pace and has a knack for goals. His engine drives the team, in a similar way Luka Modric drove Croatia into the World Cup final despite not having the most prolific stats.

Bernardo Silva had one of the best seasons on a personal level and if he keeps his red-hot form flowing then he might become a serious contender for the Ballon d'Or in the coming seasons.

(All stats from www.transfermarkt.com)