THIAGO SILVA claims he joined Chelsea after being given the vote of confidence by Frank Lampard despite turning 36 tomorrow.
The legendary Brazilian centre-back completed a stunning free transfer to Stamford Bridge last month after an eight-year spell at Paris Saint-Germain.
Thiago Silva admits he joined Chelsea due to his admiration for Frank LampardCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Lampard had no qualms about signing Silva despite his advancing yearsCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Silva penned a one-year contract with the option to extend it for another season.
And Chelsea fans will be praying he can improve their leaky defence following Sunday’s 2-0 defeat to Liverpool.
Ex-AC Milan star Silva has done it all during a glistening career that’s seen him rack up an incredible 741 appearances.
He has eight league titles to his name and led Brazil to glory at last year’s Copa America.
However, some have questioned whether Silva has the legs to deal with the pace of English football.
But the veteran is confident of earning his keep in west London.
And Silva claims the confidence shown in him by Lampard during talks was enough to seal a deal with Chelsea over the summer.
Silva told the club’s official website: “First and foremost, I came because Chelsea is an amazing team and one of the biggest clubs in the world.
“It helps when you’re welcomed so warmly, particularly by a coach who played until relatively recently, because in football there are very strong preconceptions regarding the age of players.
“But I know about his experience when he first arrived at Manchester City, theoretically at the end of his career. He endured the same sort of thing as I’ve gone through.
“So even from the outside, without knowing me personally, he knows how hard I work to remain at the highest level. The confidence that he showed in me – that was all it took.
“For me, that confidence was the single most important factor. To hear that he believed in me, that he thought that I could come here and make a positive contribution.
“With our young group, as well as some more experienced players like our captain [Cesar] Azpilicueta, we’ve got all it takes for a great season.
“You can be sure that I’ll do everything I can to repay that confidence out on the pitch. We’ve signed some top players and we’ve got a squad capable of putting together a great season so that’s what we’re going to try and do.”
Silva also reflected on the time he played against Lampard in 2013 during a 2-2 draw between England and Brazil.
Silva added: “It was a long time ago now, so it’s hard to talk about that particular game but I could see his quality whenever I saw him playing for England or Chelsea.
“He stood out for his technique, for the quality of his long and short passing, and his exceptional mid- and long-range shooting. Those are qualities that fans of great football will always notice.
“Quality players stick in your mind and you need that to be the captain of England, not just leadership. Actually, the two go hand-in-hand – you need the quality as a player to be able to lead the group and that’s what he had.
“He had the necessary qualities to be a captain because people saw what a great player he was.”
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
