The ex-Chelsea manager convinced Silva that he’ll be a valuable player regardless of his age.
He also sent the Brazilian a picture of them shaking hands as their national teams’ captains.
Thiago believes Lampard knew what assurances the experienced player needed before making this move
“As soon as I said yes, he sent me a picture of us both shaking hands as national team captains in 2013!” Thiago Silva told the FourFourTwo magazine about the start of his coach-player relationship with Frank Lampard.
“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.
“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 is even tougher for me!
“He 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.”
FourFourTwo points out that Silva was interviewed before Frank Lampard’s sacking, but it’s doubtful that the respect between the player and his former manager has disappeared.
Silva was also the first Chelsea player to thank Lampard publicly after the club announced their decision. Now, he’s enjoying working with Thomas Tuchel and considering whether to stay at the Bridge for another year.
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