Top 10 attacking midfielders in the Premier League era, including Manchester City ace David Silva

David Silva has confirmed he will leave Manchester City at the end of next season.

The 33-year-old has amassed 395 appearances since moving to the Etihad Stadium in 2010, but the 2019/20 campaign is set to be his last for the club.

Silva, who won four Premier League titles, two FA Cups and four League Cups during his time at City, featured in 33 league games last season as Pep Guardiola's side retained their crown as part of a domestic treble.

11

The Spain midfielder, who has also lifted two European Championships and the World Cup with his country, moved to City from Valencia.

But now he has set a date for when he will depart the club, telling reporters at a press conference in Gran Canaria that reaching a decade seems like the right time to call it a day.

"No, this is the last one," he replied when asked if he could stay beyond next season. "10 years for me is enough. It's the perfect time for me.

"Initially, City were talking about two years, but I decided to sign another one, so I finished at 10 years.

LATEST PREMIER LEAGUE NEWS

Tottenham Hotspur in major blow as club fear key man is set for lengthy spell on sidelines

From Modric to Bale and now Kane: Spurs have seen 67 ex-stars win 200 trophies since 2008

Cole Palmer apologises over X-rated interview after ending Liverpool's seven-year record

Man United on longest winless run for a decade as things go from bad to worse for Amorim

"It completes the cycle. It's a nice round figure. I can never see myself playing against City for another team. So 10 years - that's it."

But now the debate as to where Silva ranks amongst the pantheon of Premier League attacking midfielders will surely begin.

Technically superb, clinical in front of goal and a fantastic character off the pitch as well, Silva's place in our top 10 best ever attacking midfielders is guaranteed.

So who else makes this list and where does Silva rank? Scroll down to find out.

10. Luka Modric

11

When Juande Ramos convinced the Spurs board to part with £16.5milllion to sign Modric in 2008, fans were hesitant to say the least.

The skinny and frail youngster from Dinamo Zagreb did not inspire much confidence, but Ramos knew he had a gem. Sections of the media deemed the Croatian too lightweight after he picked up a new injury early on, but then Modric came into his own.

Under the leadership of Harry Redknapp, the midfielder began to showcase his class and was one of the best midfielders in the Premier League until his departure to Real Madrid in 2012.

After a game with Manchester United in 2010, Redknapp said: "He's an amazing footballer; the little man takes the ball in the tightest areas with people around him, wriggling out of situations. He could play in any team in the world."

9. Santi Cazorla

11

Standing at 5ft 6in, Cazorla did not look like he had the makings of a Premier League midfielder, but the Spaniard was so naturally gifted his size mattered little.

A £10million signing from Malaga, the Spaniard played in all 38 league games for the Gunners - scoring 12 goals and grabbing 14 assists in all competitions during his debut campaign.

Dangerous at set-pieces and able to play between the lines with consummate ease; Cazorla was naturally two-footed and able to pop up when Arsene Wenger's men needed it.

Unfortunately, an ankle injury which became infected required eight surgeries and a skin graft from his forearm effectively ended his career.

After being told he would never walk again, though, the 35-year-old is back playing for Villarreal in his home country.

8. Juan Mata

11

Another diminutive midfielder to roll off the Spanish production line, Mata spent a period of his youth career with Real Madrid Castilla, before moving to Valencia.

Fernando Torres convinced the 23-year-old to move to Chelsea, where he was given the No.10 shirt instantly. But rather than let the weight of expectation be a burden, Mata thrived with the extra responsibility and was a key man for both Andre Villas-Boas and Roberto Di Matteo.

After being chastised by Jose Mourinho, Mata moved to Manchester United in 2014 for a club record fee of £37.1million and continued to excel despite being played out of his central role.

A gentleman off the pitch and a wizard on it, the 31-year-old is reaching the end of his career and is arguably yet to get the recognition he deserves. But after signing a new two-year deal at Old Trafford, it seems as though United fans are in for another season of magic.

7. Yaya Toure

11

The giant Ivorian almost ruined his reputation at Manchester City due to his outrageous demands and pedantic strops, but Toure will be remembered fondly by those from the blue half of Manchester.

Having rejected Arsenal in 2003, Toure wound up at Barcelona where Pep Guardiola occasionally deployed him at centre-back.

But it was at the Etihad where the younger brother of Kolo made his name. Able to play in front of the back four before rampaging forward, Toure scored vital goals for City like in the FA Cup semi-final and final in 2011.

In terms of the Premier League, his stats from the 2013/14 season underline why it was a waste he didn't play further forward more often in his career.

6. Kevin De Bruyne

11

Were it not for his incredible confidence and irascible nature, Jose Mourinho would probably be unable to sleep thinking about all the players he sold prematurely. And De Bruyne would be top of the list.

In 2012, De Bruyne signed for the Blues but would have to wait 18 months before he made a senior competitive appearance because of various loan spells. He moved permanently to Wolfsburg in 2014 and quickly began to show Mourinho what he was missing.

In the summer of 2015, Manuel Pellegrini made him Manchester City's most expensive player at £55million. His technical ability and football intelligence and were clear for all to see. When clear of injury, De Bruyne is virtually unmatched in terms of talent.

Pep Guardiola said of him in 2016: "I think he is a special, outstanding player. He makes everything. Without the ball he is the first fighter, and with the ball he is clear – he sees absolutely everything."

5. Cesc Fabregas

11

Fabregas' name will always be mentioned when critics and pundits discuss the greatest Premier League imports. The Barcelona academy graduate arguably changed the role of central midfielders in England.

At a time when 4-4-2 was the standard formation and box-to-box midfielders were a necessity, Fabregas displayed all the subtleties modern fans have become accustomed to seeing from even the most agricultural central midfielders.

With incredible range of passing and sensational vision, Fabregas quickly established himself in the Arsenal midfield, before taking over the captaincy.

He left in Emirates in 2011 to return to Barcelona, before Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho made a move to bring him back to the Premier League three years later. Before he left for Monaco in January, Blues fans gave the Spaniard an emotional farewell in his final game at Stamford Bridge as a reflection of the impact he had in west London.

4. Steven Gerrard

11

In Gerrard's embryonic development at Liverpool, the teenager was given a thorough examination at right-back by Tottenham Hotspur hero David Ginola in 1998.

"I just remember thinking 'I don't belong here'," he told BT Sport some years later. "He was much stronger, he was bigger, he could go left and he could go right. It was a torrid afternoon."

But Gerrard's Roy of the Rovers story was only just beginning as the midfielder soon developed into one of the best players in the world under Rafael Benitez.

His link up play with Fernando Torres during the Spaniard's spell at Anfield was legendary and cemented his position as one of the best attacking midfielders the Premier League has ever seen. In truth, Gerrard could do the lot and ended his career in a quarter-back role in front of the back four to showcase his pinpoint passing.

3. David Silva

11

When Silva arrived at City after the World Cup in 2010, the transfer went somewhat under the radar. Mesut Ozil was one of the stars in South Africa and duly recognised as the best young midfield player in the world, while the signings of Jerome Boateng and Yaya Toure overshadowed Silva's arrival.

But the Spaniard was by no means the finished article and has developed into one of the most entertaining and complete midfielders in the Premier League era. His performance in the 6-1 demolition of Manchester United remains one of the most complete by an opposition player at Old Trafford.

Silva played a huge role in all four of City's Premier League title wins, while his performances during the 2017/18 when he was concerned about his premature son Mateo showed his incredible mental strength.

A consummate professional, a joy to watch and a thoroughly fantastic individual, Silva will leave the Etihad as a certified legend next season.

2. Paul Scholes

11

If you told someone who did not like football that an asthma sufferer who struggled with double vision and who 'couldn't tackle' would become one of the greatest midfielders in the Premier League era, chances are you would get at best a polite scoff in response.

But Scholes was built of sterner stuff; his calm and often introverted exterior belied the searing aggression with which he played.

There has arguably never been a player who can hit a ball so cleanly or with so much accuracy as the former Manchester United midfielder. If opposition defenders backed off him, he could score from 35 yards. But if they closed him down, he had the skills to jink past them and ghost into the box for a tap in.

Once labelled as 'the greatest midfielder of his generation' by Zinedine Zidane no less, Salford-born Scholes would probably just muster a shrug of his shoulders in embarrassment at such high praise.

1. Frank Lampard

11

What makes Lampard the best attacking midfielder in Premier League history is not the goals, nor the assists, but rather the road he had to take to get there.

At West Ham, accusations of nepotism were slung at the teenager with his dad, Frank Sr, a member of Harry Redknapp's coaching team. But the youngster never let it bother him and quickly set about proving people wrong; a trait for which he became synonymous.

Lampard never possessed the natural talent of some of the players on this list, but his steely determination and single-minded nature got him to the very top.

When Roman Abramovich began to throw his millions around at Chelsea, it was the England international who took responsibility and worked hard on his game to ensure neither Claudio Ranieri nor Jose Mourinho needed to go out and buy a star-studded name to replace him.

When the Blues cast him aside in 2014, Lampard again set about proving his doubters wrong and his move to Manchester City saw him score a fantastic scissor kick against his former employees.