By MARTIN BLACKBURN
DAVID SILVA insists if Manchester City can retain their title it will feel like winning the World Cup.
The champions slipped six points behind leaders Manchester United when they lost to their rivals at the Etihad last Sunday.
City head for Newcastle today knowing they must immediately get back to winning ways and turn the heat back up on their neighbours.
Spain star Silva has ticked off most of the major prizes with club and country — but believes pegging back United again would be among the best.
The former Valencia ace, 26, said: “If we could do it again now, it would be right up there with all the other big competitions that I have won.
“Winning the Premier League is seen as a big thing. It would be a great achievement to retain it.
“There is still a long way to go and the disappointment we felt on Sunday is over with.
“Six points is a big gap — but last year they were in front by quite a lot of points and we won the league. It can be done.
“Retaining the title is a difficult thing to achieve, but certainly there is still a long way to go and we will keep at it to win it again.
“I have been lucky. I’ve won a lot of medals but I’d still like to win more. The players do have the hunger to win it again so we’ll go for it.”
Silva has a World Cup 2010 winner’s medal along with two European Championships with Spain — and has also won the Premier League and FA Cup in his time at City.
The Champions League is one which is missing from his collection and will remain so for at least another season as Silva and his team-mates crashed out at the group stage again.
He is confident, though, he can do it with his current club despite their struggles over the last two years.
With ex-Barcelona men Ferran Soriano and Txiki Begiristain now pulling the strings at City, Silva is confident they will soon be challenging the Catalan giants.
He added: “They were part of a club which won every title there was to win in both Spain and in Europe. They were part of a very successful era at Barca. Hopefully that’s what they are bringing here and we can do something similar.
“We hope one day we’ll be able to be a club that is talked about like Barcelona.
“It’s hard to say we are close because although we won the Premier League, we went out of the Champions League early.
“But it’s a question of working at it and trying to make more of an impact in Europe.
“I cannot put my finger on what it was. All I can say is when I came to City they were looking to get in the top four.
“Since then they have won the Premier League, the FA Cup and we have qualified for the Champions League twice.
“People cannot expect to win the Champions League straight away. We’ve got very good players and we will get there.
“I want to win it with City — but it is one step at a time.”
Silva and his team-mates put a disappointing few days behind them to visit young patients at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital this week.
The City players paid for presents for each of the children.
And Silva said during the visit: “We’ve been visiting the kids and hopefully made them smile at this time for Christmas.
“They were happy to see us — or most of them were, as some were United fans!”
Silva had his own heartwarming moment in September when he received an amazing ovation from all four sides of the Bernabeu when he played against Real Madrid.
While it made him proud, he insists he has no plans to return home any time soon after penning a new five-year deal at the Etihad earlier this season.
Silva added: “I was very happy that night. To get that from Real Madrid supporters when you are playing for the opposition is not something that happens often.
“It’s not an easy thing to achieve. I’m very grateful and proud that it happened.
“I’m very happy at City at the moment. I’ve no plans to move back to Spain, but you never know what might happen in the future. It’s not something I’m thinking about at the moment.”
