Thiago Silva says that he prayed to God to provide him with a challenge after leaving PSG, and that his prayers were answered when the best team in England, Chelsea, made their interest known.
In 2012, the Brazilian moved from Milan to Paris Saint-Germain, developing into one of the best defenders in Europe.
He would eventually become captain of the Ligue 1 side before leaving after the Champions League final versus Bayern, which they lost.
With his contract expiring, Silva had to think about what his next career step would be, and it proved to be Chelsea who won the race for his signature, with Frank Lampard keen to add some stability and experience to his backline.
Silva knew Chelsea were the right choice for him as they as the best team in England, despite being apprehensive about elite clubs wanting him because of his advancing years.
“In truth, when I knew that things were finished with PSG, I had always hoped for something great," he told France Football.
"At the beginning, we were scared that my age would be a strain and that club representatives would have negative prejudices.
"It is very difficult to bounce back when you are past the age of 33 or 34. But I wanted to believe, I prayed to God to find me a project that matched my ambitions. God listened to me because Chelsea are the best in England.”
Silva made his Premier League debut for Chelsea on Saturday versus West Brom, and it was certainly one to forget as he made an early error to gift the Baggies the lead.
After going 3-0 down, the Blues eventually fought back to draw 3-3 and earn a point.
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