Shortly after Lampard had spoken about his squad for the Carabao Cup match against Barnsley, our signing from Paris St-Germain entered the same room for his introduction to the media in England, and immediately he was asked about his chance to take to the Stamford Bridge pitch with his new team.‘This is a really important moment for me,’ Thiago Silva said. ‘It is another opportunity in my life, I am well-prepared, I have been working hard towards it so tomorrow is my first game and I think it will go well given the way we have been training. Little by little we are getting to the level where we have to be.’

As soon as he signed, the leadership he can bring to the side was highlighted and the player spoke about what he can contribute to Chelsea away from the spotlight of the games themselves.‘Off the pitch it is basically the same thing. I have my experience in my career with all that I have won and it is important to show the younger players that just playing matches isn’t enough. They need this preparation to be ready and in the best state possible, and they must see how important it is to win things because people who are successful and win things are remembered.‘For example our manager, Frank Lampard, he won so much including one of the biggest championships in world football. He will be remembered eternally, not just by Chelsea fans.’

On his move from Paris to London, the former PSG captain explained his contract there was extended by two months to cover the end of their Champions League campaign. After that he was expecting to leave and considered his options. Although after returning to Paris following the final with Bayern Munich he was called into a meeting with his former club to discuss his future, on the Monday morning following PSG’s defeat he had said yes to Chelsea. |‘I am very grateful to Paris St-Germain for everything they did for me but now I am onto a new project, a new club and I am highly motivated. I am very prepared to play in the Premier League and I hope to contribute as much as possible to the young players who have tremendous quality.’Thiago Silva had not considered a move to England in the past. Many years ago the style of football was not the type he wanted to be involved with but he believes that has changed over time and now his ambition is to experience it first-hand.‘I feel really good, age is just a number. Physically I feel very young and well prepared for this. People who know me know how much I love my work, how I put in 200 per cent, and this is a great opportunity that Chelsea and Frank Lampard have given me and I don’t want to let them down.’