Country: France (Brazilian)
Club: Chelsea
Position: Center Back
Age: 37
Brazilian professional footballer Thiago Emiliano da Silva heads the Brazil national team in addition to playing center back for Premier League side Chelsea. He is renowned for his defensive prowess, discipline, and leadership and is regarded as one of the finest defenders of all time.
Thiago Silva is the only member of Tite’s squad who has competed for A Seleço at both the Brazil and Russia World Cups, and Neymar is the only other player who has done so.
The 37-year-old center back is still regarded as one of the greatest in the world; he has superb ball skills, tremendous strength, and a keen sense of timing that allows him to close gaps in the defense swiftly.
He has won the FIFA Club World Cup, the UEFA Super Cup, and the UEFA Champions League while playing for Chelsea, swiftly making him a fan favorite.
Even John Terry, a center-back who has won numerous championships with the Blues, has praised him: “I really love him. It’s unbelievable for a player his age to do so well in the top league in the world. I wish I had been able to play like him. He keeps things straightforward and executes everything so perfectly without taking any chances.
Chelsea defender Thiago Silva has featured in every one of the side’s six Premier League games in 2022/2023, an ever-present feature by starting in all six.
Silva last appeared in a Premier League match on September 3 for Chelsea against West Ham United. He picked up one assist in that fixture for his side in the side’s 2-1 win. That assist represents his first of the 2022/2023 season.
Chelsea occupy fifth in the standings with 10 points and next face a trip to Fulham in Premier League action on September 10.
Last season for Chelsea, Silva made 32 Premier League appearances and scored three goals.
At Paris Saint-Germain, Silva made a total of 204 league appearances, scoring nine goals and dishing out four assists in the process. In August 2020, Silva will join Chelsea.
At 36 years and four days old, Silva made his league debut against West Bromwich Albion on September 26, 2020. He has participated in 61 games in the Premier League overall, scoring five goals and providing just one assist.
In addition to a long record of individual accolades, Thiago Silva has long been recognized as one of the most accomplished and successful defenders in the world, having won championships in Brazil, Italy, France, and now England.
He is affectionately referred to as “The Monster” by the Brazilian and French press and is endowed with speed and strength that make him a formidable opponent on the ground and in the air. He also has a wealth of experience playing at the highest level of football and the poise and technical ability to play the ball out from center back.
He has led the Brazilian national team, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan, and other teams.
Playing Style
Thiago, a physically powerful player, dominates opponents mentally. He possesses the technical skills to match that speed of mind and the instinctive ability to read the game more quickly than those around him.
Only the best defenders can match this combination; notable examples are Rio Ferdinand, Fabio Cannavaro, and Alessandro Nesta.
He is everywhere, preventing shots from being made, grabbing through balls, and directing almost every ball into play.
The Brazil captain, though, succeeds in other areas as well. His ability to get on the ball more than any of his defensive teammates while maintaining an average pass completion rate of 89.5 percent makes him a fantastic player with the ball in his hands as well.
