Thiago Silva: What I really think of Frank Lampard at Chelsea FC
Thiago Silva explains why he opted to sign for Chelsea FC from PSG this summer
Thiago Silva has revealed that the opportunity to play under Frank Lampard was one of the main reasons he decided to sign for Chelsea FC this summer.
The veteran defender signed for the Blues on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer window after his contract with the French club expired.
Silva, 36, will bring some much-needed experience to Chelsea FC’s back-line as Lampard looks to try and steer the Blues towards a Premier League title challenge this season.
The Brazilian defender is yet to make his debut for the west London side after having sat out the Blues’ Premier League openers against Brighton and Hove Albion and Liverpool FC.
However, the centre-half could get a run-out when Chelsea FC take on Barnsley in the third round of the League Cup on Wednesday night.
Silva spent eight seasons at PSG, scoring 17 goals in 315 appearances for the Ligue 1 side before his switch to Chelsea FC on an initial one-year contract this summer.
And the defender has now underlined the significant role that Lampard had in helping to convince him that the move to Stamford Bridge was the right decision this summer.
Speaking in an interview quoted by the London Evening Standard, Silva said: “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.”
Chelsea FC suffered a 2-0 loss to Liverpool FC in their first Premier League home game of the season on Sunday afternoon.
The Blues will attempt to get back to winning ways in the Premier League when they take on West Brom away from home on Saturday evening.
