Silva: I didn’t think twice when I heard Chelsea were interested in me

joined

in August 2020, after an 8-year spell at

.

He started his career at Stamford Bridge under

Frank Lampard

and immediately became a key player in the Blues’ squad.

The 36-year-old has now spoken about his relation with Chelsea former boss.

"As soon as I said yes, Frank sent me a picture of us both shaking hands as national team captains in 2013,"

Silva said.

"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.

"Marina 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!

"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. My mission now is to keep up with what everybody expects from me."

Follow 

 for the