Thiago Silva is the most decorated member of our squad and his ambition this season is not only to add to his bulging trophy cabinet but to continue making an impression on the less experienced players around him.
The Brazilian was, by some distance, the most senior of our summer arrivals. He had freshly captained Paris Saint-Germain to the Champions League final and, prior to that, he won a whole host of domestic titles during his eight seasons in the French capital, as well as during his spells with AC Milan and Fluminense.
On the international stage Thiago Silva lifted the Confederations Cup in 2013 and the Copa America in 2019, and he remains the Brazil captain now at the age of 36. So when he considers the impact he wishes to make during his time in west London, his targets stretch beyond simply accruing more silverware.
‘I try to leave a mark wherever I go,’ he says.
‘I left my mark at RS at the start of my career, then at Juventude, then after at Fluminense, then Milan and Paris, and I aim to leave my mark here as well.
‘This is my focus and plan, and I’m so scared of letting down people who showed so much belief in me. I aim to work hard and focus a lot on my opponents so that I can make as few mistakes as possible in games to help me and the team perform really well.
‘The choice to join Chelsea wasn’t hard,’ adds Thiago Silva.
‘You’re talking about a club with Chelsea’s history, their great and respected shirt, our coaching staff, first and foremost the gaffer who was really successful here playing for Chelsea, and the squad which really caught my eye in terms of the quality of the team.’
It is a merging of all those attributes Thiago Silva hopes will stand us in good stead when it comes to the trophies handed out at the end of the season. And he would know!
‘At Milan I won Serie A and the Italian Super Cup, and at PSG I won basically everything possible, except the Champions League, we reached the final.
‘With Chelsea my main objective is the Premier League, of course. It’d be a dream come true to win it and there’s no doubt we’re looking at winning the Champions League and the cups as well, so it’s a matter of working.
‘I think Chelsea aren’t just 11 players, they’ve got a group of 22 players who have what it takes to go far in all competitions.’