The King is dead. Long live the King. David Villa at New York City FC is no more. The heartfelt announcement that clearly illustrated the close relationship that Villa had with the club, the city and the fans came in late November.
Villa wanted to give the club as best a chance to prepare for the post-Villa era. Without being overly egotistical, the Spaniard recognised that New York would struggle without him. Who wouldn’t struggle without such an influential goalscorer and centre-forward?
It was never going to be easy to replace Villa.