Marco Silva is delighted with having Willian in his Fulham squad.
That was said in an interview the Whites’ boss had with ESPN Brasil this week.
The coach was asked about the Brazilian players he has in the squad, and after commenting on Andreas Pereira and Carlos Vinícius, he saved some time just to praise Willian.
Silva started by claiming Willian’s age has never been an issue for him, as he’s been able to perform at top level.
“I left Willian for last because in my opinion he’s a special case. First, because of the quality he has. For me honestly there’s no age. In football, I think we all reach a level, an age where we’re not going to play anymore because it’s part of human nature. But when you are in good physical condition, there’s no age. If you are 17 or 18 or if you are 34, 35 or 36. And Willian showed that, because he has everything else.
“He’s a world class player in my opinion. He saw that he’s at an age, that he is 34 years old, he saw some doubts, not to say many doubts in the air, if he was going to return to his level.”
The manager also recalled the meeting he had with Willian prior to his contract with Fulham.
“We had a very important conversation between the two of us before he signed with us. I wanted to feel from him how he was, how he felt. He wanted to feel the club too. We had an important conversation between the two of us and everything was very clear between the two of us. I was clear with what I expected of him and what I was going to demand of him. And he clearly enjoyed the challenge, enjoyed his first moments with us here at the club.
“And he’s been brutal, he’s been a player… he’s been Willian. A classy player, in my opinion. A player who at all times demonstrates the quality he has and the class he has as an athlete. But much more than that, he’s a player who’s always ready to work. He is a player who comes to training every day, even at the age of 34 and with the career he has had, prepared to learn, prepared to listen, prepared to improve.
“If he doesn’t do things well, he’s not satisfied with himself, and that’s the best thing a player can have, regardless of how old he is. As long as we feel that he has this will, with that smile on his face in everything he does, with this joy in playing football, we have to enjoy him and give him the conditions to continue playing.”
Following years in the Premier League featuring for Chelsea and Arsenal, Willian decided in 2022 to return to Brazil, where he’d play for his childhood club Corinthians. Things didn’t go well there, though, and his poor performances resulted in exaggerated pressure from fans, who even threatened him.
That’s why the player chose to return to Europe, and willing to move back to London, Fulham were the best destination for him. Since his arrival, he has five goals and five assists in 29 appearances.
