The hilarious reason new Real Madrid signing Bernardo Silva named his dog after a teammate
Bernardo Silva’s move to Real Madrid comes with a surprising backstory involving his French bulldog, John, named in tribute to a former Manchester City teammate.
Bernardo Silva has officially joined Real Madrid, and the former Manchester City star will also be taking John Stones with him to the Spanish capital.
The England defender is also set to leave the Etihad this summer, although he is not expected to be one of José Mourinho’s signings in Madrid (though you never know).
Instead, Bernardo will be moving to Spain with John, his French bulldog, named after his former City teammate.
A friendship that went beyond football
Silva and Stones formed a close bond after the Portuguese midfielder joined Manchester City in 2017. So much so that “John” became the clear winner when it came to naming Silva’s new dog, as Stones explained in a feature for Goal in 2023.
“Bernardo said to me, ‘If I get a dog, John, I’m going to call it John. John Stones,’” the defender explained.
“So I was like, ‘Alright, why?’ He said because every time I call my dog or shout at my dog, I’ll think of you and it’ll be like telling you to come to me, like I own you.
“He brings his dog into training and, yeah, you can imagine what goes on in the changing room then.”
Silva’s explanation
It is not all down to teasing, however. Speaking to Manchester City’s media team in 2021, Silva revealed he had actually chosen the name as a sign of affection for Stones.
“We really wanted to have a dog, and he was named after my friend John Stones because we’re very close and I always said to him that one day if I had a dog, I would call him John.
“It’s actually a great name. We love him. I think it suits him. He’s a beautiful boy and is very intelligent.”
Expect to see Bernardo Silva and John Stones (the dog) roaming the streets of Madrid after the conclusion of World Cup 2026.
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