The Brazilian quickly forged a strong bond with Blues supporters, who recognised the class with which Thiago behaves on and off the pitch.

Victories were celebrated, trophies were lifted, and lasting memories were created. Yet on Sunday against Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge, Thiago Silva will bring the curtain down on his time at Chelsea – and his 15 years in European football.

He will be remembered as a Chelsea great and one of the best defenders of his generation – and ahead of his final outing, we sat down with Thiago to discuss six of his standout matches in blue.

West Brom 3-3 Chelsea | Premier League | 26 September, 2023

'My first game for Chelsea. I remember well. The opportunity to wear the shirt was a big responsibility. I felt that. But in this game, I was also given the captain's armband by [Frank] Lampard.

'That was the positive. Then there is the negative, I think Chelsea fans will remember. I made a big mistake; practically gave a goal away. It was not my best moment but it was important.

'It made me grow and helped me realise that this league, the Premier League, was different from what I had come from. It made me understand.'

Chelsea 2-1 Leicester City | Premier League | 18 May, 2021

'Special day. Obviously, because of the pandemic, we had been playing without supporters in the stadium. I had felt the love of the Chelsea fans through social media but to have 8,000 in Stamford Bridge was different.

'The noise! I remember it felt like there were 45,000 fans in the stadium that night. I was touched by that – and it gave me a real feeling that we were getting back to normality.

'That we also won for those supporters meant it was a good day for us.'

Man City 0-1 Chelsea | Champions League final | 29 May, 2021

'I smile when I see this picture. The year before, when I was with Paris, I lost the final. Then I changed clubs and in my first season achieved this dream. You think, 'How can it happen in this way?!' Only God has the answers and knows the moments.

'Of course, it was not the game I expected as I got injured in the first half. We all have an ego and we all want to play in these games – a Champions League final! – but my ego in relation to what my teammates and the club needed wasn't important at that moment.

'I could have continued but I wasn't 100% able to help the team. So I decided with [Thomas] Tuchel to come off and for Andreas [Christensen] to come in. He had a brilliant season so it felt right, and he did so well.

'It was not easy watching but I felt so happy and as if I had played the 90 minutes! What a crazy day.'

Tottenham vs Chelsea | Premier League | 19 September, 2021

'A brilliant performance away at our biggest rivals. Something like that isn’t simple to do and it always means a good feeling for the players and the fans.

'We played well, the performance was convincing. We had a clean sheet and I scored our first goal. I think everything that could have gone well for us in this game happened.

'I think the worst thing when I think back on this game was my hair! It was something I had to do for a sponsor in Brazil – but I think it turned out to be good luck because the goal I scored was with my head!

Chelsea 2-1 Palmeiras | Club World Cup final | 12 February, 2022

'As is the case for any Brazilian player, to win this title is a surreal feeling. Every club in Brazil dreams about winning this title. Every one. For me, it was the same thing even though I was playing for a European club.

'I know some people say that clubs in Europe at not as focused on this competition, that it is just another competition to win. So I wanted to make sure the team was motivated to win this trophy.

'The final was not easy – and I remember we did the warm-up in front of the Palmeiras fans! But we made sure that we won the game and I was very proud to be named the player of the match in the final and the player of the tournament.

'It is one of the most important trophies of my career and the first one for Chelsea.'

Milan 0-2 Chelsea | Champions League | 11 October 2022

'A very emotional day and a very special day for me. I spent three-and-a-half years playing for Milan and it was only ten years later that I had the chance to return. It never happened with Paris.

'I came out onto the pitch at San Siro and all the fans were chanting my name. During the game, I could hear people around the stadium shouting my name. It was a touching experience

'We had a good performance that night and won the game. We kept a clean sheet too. At the end of the match, I did almost an Olympic lap to thank the Milan and Chelsea supporters.

'I never got the chance to thank the fans at Milan, so that was a nice moment. As was the match at Stamford Bridge against them – we had another clean sheet!

'I also remember well the game against Juventus in the Champions League. That is when I did the goal-line clearance from Morata, that has stayed in my mind. Tuchel insisted after I had plenty of space, that I could've played a pass!

'But every match that I played for this club – more than 150 games – they all somehow have marked me as special.'