Thiago Silva has explained why he chose to join Chelsea following his departure from PSG and says he is ‘certain’ the Blues will challenge for the Premier League title this season.
The Brazilian defender joined Frank Lampard’s side on a free transfer after ending his long and successful spell with French giants PSG.
Silva is yet to feature for Chelsea, missing their opening-day victory over Brighton and the recent defeat to Premier League champions Liverpool.
The 35-year-old is raring to go, however, and says the chance to join Chelsea and work under Lampard was too good to turn down.
Asked why he decided to join Chelsea, Silva told the club’s official website: ‘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.
‘With our young group, as well as some more experienced players like our captain [Cesar] Azpilicueta, we’ve got all it takes for a great season.
Lampard’s Chelsea finished fourth in the Premier League last season but there is hope they can close the gap on Liverpool and Manchester City after signing a number of players this summer.
Timo Werner, Hakim Ziyech, Kai Havertz and Ben Chilwell all followed Silva to Stamford Bridge, while Chelsea are also set to sign a new goalkeeper.
Discussing Chelsea’s title chances for the season, Silva added: ‘What motivates me, day by day, is the hunger to win. To win everything within my reach.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web
browser that
supports HTML5
video
‘Coming to the Premier League, my main goal is to win the league title and I’m certain that we’ll be fighting for that every step of the way.
‘The team is really strong, we’ve got a great coach and I’ve come here to contribute in whatever way I can to ensure that we get as close as possible to achieving those aims.
‘That’s what motivates me: stepping out onto the pitch, and then winning, winning, and winning some more. I don’t think about anything else.
‘I hope that they believe, just as we do, that this is going to be a very special year and one full of success for the club.’
Silva could make his Chelsea debut on Wednesday evening when Lampard’s side face Championship outfit Barnsley in the EFL Cup.
