Thiago Silva Explains How Frank Lampard Convinced Him to Join Chelsea
By Tom Gott
Chelsea centre-back Thiago Silva has admitted he opted to sign for the Blues this summer after being hugely impressed with manager Frank Lampard's desire.
Silva left Paris Saint-Germain after the Champions League final and was quickly snapped up by Chelsea, who hope that the 36-year-old will be able to add some much-needed organisation to a defence which was infamously shaky last year.
There were a few options for Silva, with AC Milan and Everton both touted as potential options, but he told the club's official website that Lampard ensured Chelsea were simply too good to turn down.
"First and foremost, I came because Chelsea is an amazing team and one of the biggest clubs in the world," he said. "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 [César] 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 is yet to make his debut for Chelsea, who arrived at Stamford Bridge lacking in match fitness, but he has been training with the rest of the group and has been tipped to play a part in the Blues' meeting with Barnsley on Wednesday.
Blues fans will be looking forward to seeing Silva play for Chelsea, having endured plenty of frustrating games against the Brazilian during his time with PSG.
"They were huge games, with great players on both sides: [Didier] Drogba, with his physical strength; Diego [Costa], who’s always a complete nightmare to play against!" Silva recalled. "They were tough matches, both over here and in Paris.
"On those occasions, I think that PSG just about came out on top. When I think about them now, the incident that comes to mind is the penalty I gave away for handball. I was jumping with [Kurt] Zouma and my arm bounced off his shoulder and struck the ball. Also, the goal that I scored to make it 2-2 which sealed qualification for us in England, which was extremely important for me and PSG at that time.
"But that’s all changed now - I’m with Chelsea and I’m going to do everything to ensure we give the best possible account of ourselves and come as close as possible to achieving the aims that we’ve set for the season."