One of the strangest bromances in sports occurs when Bernardo Silva names his French bulldog, John, after his Manchester City colleague John Stones.

Since Stones’ arrival from Monaco in 2017, Silva and the player have been close friends both on and off the field.

The 27-year-old is usually seen strolling his dog, Stones, around Manchester with his girlfriend Ines.

Before Sunday’s Manchester derby, Silva stated to The Times, “We’ve had him for nine months now.” I don’t have any tiny children yet, so he’s like my own. He has fun while he’s here.

John seems content with his dog’s name, despite the fact that it is uncommon.

After sharing a picture of Silva and John together on Twitter, Kyle Walker made a jest, joking that “only Bernardo Silva would call his dog John.”

John Stones explains to talkSPORT why Man City colleague Bernardo Silva named his puppy after him: “I’ll take it as a compliment.”

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One of City’s best players this year as they look to capture their first Champions League trophy and defend their Premier League title is Silva.

However, events might have gone quite differently. Silva’s desire to leave the Etihad was disclosed by manager Pep Guardiola towards the end of the previous campaign.

Silva has acknowledged that living alone in England during the coronavirus pandemic caused him to be miserable.

His performance off the field suffered as a result, and he yearned to be nearer to his family.

He claimed, “People suffered far more than we did, but being so far away from my family made it difficult for me.” I used to spend a few days in Portugal and eat dinner with my parents. Even though it was just dinner, it was nice since you were with your parents. Not being able to do so was tough.

Honestly, I didn’t have a nice time. I spent some time by myself in my place. My partner showed up a little later. Everyone suffered as a result of it. I could tell that my teammates were having difficulty from the expressions on their faces.

The Portugal international reiterated his love for City and said he was not unhappy with the team.

Silva stated on the club’s website, “I had a talk with the club because I wasn’t happy with my life here and I wanted to be closer to my family, but it [wanting to leave] had nothing to do with the club.”

“I’m a Manchester City fan. I love the club, my supporters, and my teammates. After that, nothing happened. I stayed, and for as long as I am a member, I will always give this club my best.