Today we celebrate the 36th birthday of Chelsea’s newest star defender Thiago Silva by taking a brief look back on the player’s career story.
Thiago Emiliano da Silva has played European football for over a decade and, in that time, he’s established a reputation as one of the world’s most respected center-backs.
The 36-year-old has enjoyed a magnificent career to date at both club and international level. He’s won trophies in three different nations, including league titles in Italy and France, and succeeded with Brazil at the international level.
His peers have openly acknowledged him as a world-class defender in the past. Many have singled him out his natural-born leadership skills along with his pace and aerial prowess.
The moment Thiago ‘retired’
It all started in 1998 when a then 14-year-old Silva began turning heads at Fluminense in his homeland. He surprisingly turned down an offer from AS Roma; opting to play for lower-tier clubs like RS Futebol and Juventude instead. His performances for the latter, though, meant interest remained a constant.
By the time he celebrated his 20th birthday, Silva had developed into a spectacular young talent. His transition from midfield to defense was impressive, catching the eye of countless South American and European sides.
When Thiago Silva signed for Dynamo Moscow, it was revealed that he had a disease called 'tuberculosis'.
He was hospitalised for 6 months and didn't play for over a year.
Thiago Silva then decided to retire from football, but was persuaded by his mother to return. 👊💙 pic.twitter.com/F4zPbGpkpe
— FutbolChelsea (@FutbolCheIsea) August 28, 2020
A €2.50m transfer to Portuguese giants FC Porto followed in the summer of 2005. Opportunities in the first-team, however, were non-existent and led to a career-defining loan move to Dynamo Moscow.
It was in Russia where Silva briefly ended his career after being diagnosed with tuberculosis. His condition deteriorated for much of his six-month stay in the hospital and could’ve been life-threatening had he been hospitalized even two weeks later.
After some persuasion from his mother, the Brazilian resumed his career once he’d recovered from his illness.
‘The Monster’ is born
Thiago returned to his boyhood club Fluminense in January 2006 in a bid to revive his career. And while Ivo Wortmann’s side struggled to a lowly 15th-place finish in the Brazilian league, he impressed all the same.
Fans in Brazil soon nicknamed him as ‘O Monstro’ (‘The Monster’) for his robust performances in defense. Nothing fazed him, and it wasn’t long before European clubs and the Brazilian national team came calling either.
Upon leading Fluminense to a first-ever ‘Copa Do Brasil’ title in 2007, Silva debuted at the international level and sealed a €10m move to AC Milan in January 2009.
He raised his game to a whole other level at the San Siro under the tutelage of Carlo Ancelotti and Paolo Maldini. In fact, Silva was ranked as the Serie A’s third-best defender in his first season. He was later crowned the best for the following campaign in 2010/11, which saw Milan win the league title.
After a very fruitful stint in Italy, Silva became the world’s most expensive defender in 2012 by completing a €42m transfer to Paris Saint-Germain.
He quickly settled into his new surroundings to initiate a new era of dominance under the club’s president Nasser Al-Khelaifi.
23 domestic honors, including seven Ligue 1 titles, all came his way during an outstanding eight-year stay in France. PSG proved unstoppable, boasting many famous talents like Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Neymar. They became a formidable force and regularly challenged for the biggest titles.
The next chapter
At that time, meanwhile, Thiago Silva had established himself for Brazil and captained the team to the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup glory. He also had a hand in the Selecao’s Copa America triumph on home soil in 2019.
After leading PSG to the Champions League final in 2019/20, however, Thiago joined Chelsea in August 2020.
He may be 36 as of today, but the defender remains as hungry as ever to succeed in the beautiful game.
Happy Birthday Thiago 🥳
"What motivates me day by day, is the hunger to win. To win everything within my reach. Coming to the Premier League, my main goal is to win the league title" – Thiago Silva pic.twitter.com/jao9OK9pTz
— Nouman (@nomifooty) September 21, 2020
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