https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/2020/12/12/
thiago-silva-on-emulating-past-brazilian-blues-and-his-pride-at-
Thiago Silva on emulating past Brazilian Blues and his pride at wearing
the armband
12 Dec 2020
When Thiago Silva was handed his Premier League debut back in September
away at West Brom, a few short weeks after completing his transfer from
Paris Saint-Germain, there was one additional responsibility that Frank
Lampard bestowed upon the Brazilian.
https://i.imgur.com/xR3eLZG.jpg
With Cesar Azpilicueta and Jorginho both starting on the bench, the
Chelsea captain's armband was passed on to the veteran defender on his
first appearance in English league football. The burden may have weighed
heavy on some players but not a man closing in on 100 caps for Brazil.
'It was a surprise for me, a good surprise of course,' he said this week
when reflecting on the moment he found out. 'I was really happy with all
this respect in relation to the club's history and the captains in the
past. On this occasion, Azpilicueta and Jorginho were out so he [Lampard]
opted to give me the captain's armband.
'I was really happy and content to have made my debut in the Premier
League as a captain but my biggest joy comes from simply wearing the
shirt, regardless of whether I'm captain or not.'
The 36-year-old knows how much people back home in Brazil will be
following his Chelsea career, the club's popularity in that part of South
America fuelled by the prominence of so many players from the country
having plied their trade at Stamford Bridge in the past.
Many of his countrymen have won major domestic and European titles with
the Blues, a story of silverware that Thiago Silva is keen to write his
own chapter in.
'Not so long ago David Luiz was here with Willian, Oscar, Ramires and
Diego Costa, who has dual nationality with Spain but he's Brazilian,' he
continued.
https://i.imgur.com/Oj3R8KY.jpg
Thiago Silva is the latest Brazilian to pull on the royal blue of Chelsea
'They were all Brazilians who were successful here at Chelsea and I hope
that I can do a bit of what they all did here and that I can blaze a trail
to victory. I'm really happy here and there's no doubt that Chelsea in
Brazil are even more popular.'
Settled in Surrey with his family close to our Cobham training ground,
there are clearly no regrets for Thiago Silva with his decision to take
his career from Paris to London. He wants to contribute, compete and be
fighting for trophies come the end of the campaign.
'I think I'm adapting well,' he added. 'It has been easy for me. I'm a guy
who likes his home, I'm close to my family so in this regard, my family
have helped me a lot. Adapting isn't always easy but I've surprised
myself, not just with the English culture but the fact the football here
is different to where I've been.
'It's a team that I liked to watch and if you imagine yourself being in
the team, despite being on the outside, you see how much the team could
still improve. The team is really young and I came to improve alongside
them even more and fight to win the competitions we're competing in.'
The next step on that quest comes at Goodison Park this evening against
Everton, a side our number six admits 'have not been playing well in terms
of results' but one he knows will provide stiff competition.
'We're going to aim to play our game and impose ourselves,' he stated.
Unbeaten in nine Premier League matches and with the battle-hardened
Brazilian at the back, you'd expect nothing less.