ESPN Brasil managed to speak to Chelsea manager Frank Lampard this week, and he talked exclusively about the signing and adaptation of Thiago Silva.
The Blues’ boss was asked if there was some sort of risk bringing in a defender who’d soon be turning 36, and responded by sending a lot of praise to the player.
“Firstly, I love him because I’ve loved his career and success doesn’t come easily, it comes from hard work,” Frank Lampard told ESPN Brasil.
“And now I see him close-up. I see not only that huge talent that he’s got in there, but incredible professionalism on work ethic and how he approaches his game day-to-day here. So particularly as he’s 36, I understand you have to manage it sort of differently at that point.
“When the opportunity came to bring him here, it was an easy decision for me. The only difficult part was trying to persuade him and then sell him the story of what we were trying to do. I knew that we need experience within the team. We’re a young team and when the opportunity comes out bring somebody in… I knew he could offer great things.
“The only risk would be injury or the fact that he can’t play so regularly. But when I spoke to people that worked with Thiago in Paris, people that knew him, every answer was the same. Fantastic professional, looks after himself, family man, great talent. All these things. So when you put everything together that obviously made the risk as minimal as could be, and at the moment he’s playing fantastically well.”
Despite being at an advanced age, Thiago Silva is still fully committed to Brazil, where he’s been the captain in the past few matches. Frank Lampard was asked if he needs to manage him in a special way for that.
“Yeah, I think so, that starts with communication. I think I’m very happy to speak with Thiago, we have a very good relationship. Not quite in English yet. We need a translator, but hopefully that comes, but he’s very keen to communicate. Not just with myself, but with his teammates and I like that.
“As I think I’ve said already, we’ve had some games that he’s been rested in or managed between games. That’s an important part of my job to keep communication very open with him. I trust him. When you look at his career you have to trust him because of the fact that he’s still playing for his country at the age he’s playing, and has the desire to do all the things he’s doing. When he comes to Chelsea, he talks about being willing to win here. Those things are all great. So we’re managing to try and get the best out of him.”
Not long ago, Thiago Silva had spoken to the Brazilian press and talked about the process to accept the offer from Chelsea. He claimed that once he took the offer, Frank Lampard sent him a message of them facing each other in a game between England and Brazil.
Now with the defender fully adapted to the Blues, reports from the European press recently started claiming that the Stamford Bridge side are interested in extending his contract for one more year. Thiago Silva recently gave an interview to the Brazilian media in which admitted his desire to get a new contract with the club, so things seem to be leading to that path.
