Chelsea new signing Thiago Silva revealed Frank Lampard was the driving force behind his move to Chelsea this summer.
After many successful seasons with PSG, Silva opted against signing a new contract with the French giants towards the back end of last season, and decided that now was the right time to leave and seek a fresh challenge in the game.
That led to Chelsea showing a real interest in getting a transfer deal done, and after a few weeks of talks, it had been decided that Stamford Bridge would be the mans last big transfer move.
He made his debut in midweek against Barnsley in the Carabao Cup, and looked very impressive, but has revealed that if it was not for Frank Lampard being at Chelsea, he probably would have not signed for the club
He told BBC Sport’s Football Focus: “For me it’s a source of great pride to be part of his project.
“If it wasn’t for him, if he didn’t believe in me, I wouldn’t be here.
“I certainly feel privileged to be a part of a new family, and to be coached by one of the best players in the world.”
Silva is a world class player that has a few years left in those legs of his, so even though he will not play every game for Chelsea this season, he will add so much leadership to the side on and off the pitch.
He is a great short-term solution for Chelsea while they look for a more long-term answer, but his quality will show on the pitch and the younger talents at the club have a great opportunity to learn from one of the very best defenders in the game.
It will be interesting to see how he copes in the Premier League over the whole season though.