THOMAS TUCHEL GIVES VERDICT ON CHELSEA'S WIN AT SHEFF UTD
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Thiago Silva has opened up on the "nice surprise" he received from Frank Lampard after agreeing to join Chelsea.
The centre-back ended a glittering eight-season spell with Paris Saint-Germain to move to Stamford Bridge on a free transfer last summer.
Lampard singled out Silva as a key target to strengthen his defence and fended off strong interest in Serie A side Fiorentina to secure his signature.
Once the 36-year-old put pen to paper on his Blues contract, then-Chelsea boss Lampard sent Silva a photo of them together at the Maracana, where England drew 2-2 with Brazil in a friendly in 2013.
© Pool via REUTERSLampard was delighted to have secured the services of the veteran defender
"As soon as I said yes, he sent me a picture of us both shaking hands as national team captains in 2013," Silva told FourFourTwo .
"It was a nice surprise. He understood exactly what I needed at this stage of my career, probably because he had made a similar move when he was also 36, from Chelsea to Manchester City.
"I didn't think twice when I heard Chelsea were interested in me - not only because of their history, but also because Willian and David Luiz invariably spoke highly of them.
© Popperfoto via Getty ImagesLampard and Silva captained their countries during a friendly in 2013
"Marina [Granovskaia, club director] called me after I'd agreed, then passed me on to Frank. It was through a translator, because I still don't speak English and his accent was even tougher for me!"
Silva's move to west London raised eyebrows due to his age, but he has emphatically answered the question of whether he can cope with the Premier League's physicality.
The Brazil veteran claims Lampard never doubted him, adding: "He [Lampard] hit the nail on the head from day one, saying, 'Thiago, you don't need to worry about your age - it's not a concern for me at all. I'll count on you absolutely, and I want to listen to what you have to say.'
"I was over the moon with that; knowing everyone at the club, top to bottom, wanted me here. My mission now is to keep up with what everybody expects from me."
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