Chelsea new boy Thiago Silva has revealed he joined the Stamford Bridge club to win the Premier League title.
The 36-year-old brought to an end eight years with Paris Saint-Germain by joining the Blues on a free transfer and has revealed his excitement at his west London challenge.
Silva told Chelsea’s official club website: “First and foremost, I came because Chelsea is an amazing team and one of the biggest clubs in the world.
“It helps when you’re welcomed so warmly, particularly by a coach who played until relatively recently, because in football there are very strong preconceptions regarding the age of players.
“But I know about his experience when he first arrived at Manchester City, theoretically at the end of his career. He endured the same sort of thing as I’ve gone through.
“So even from the outside, without knowing me personally, he knows how hard I work to remain at the highest level. The confidence that he showed in me – that was all it took. For me, that confidence was the single most important factor.
“To hear that he believed in me, that he thought that I could come here and make a positive contribution. With our young group, as well as some more experienced players like our captain [Cesar] Azpilicueta, we’ve got all it takes for a great season.
“You can be sure that I’ll do everything I can to repay that confidence out on the pitch. We’ve signed some top players and we’ve got a squad capable of putting together a great season so that’s what we’re going to try and do.
“Normally, at 35 or 36 years of age, it’s the time when players leave the Premier League but I’m doing things the other way around – I’m only just starting.
“The way I see it, it’s the toughest league in the world, with six or seven big teams genuinely fighting for the title so the motivation is massive. I’m hugely impatient to get going but things will happen in their own time and there’s no doubt I’ll be totally prepared when the time comes.
“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 and I’m certain that we’ll be fighting for that every step of the way.
“The team is really strong, we’ve got a great coach and I’ve come here to contribute in whatever way I can to ensure that we get as close as possible to achieving those aims. That’s what motivates me: stepping out onto the pitch, and then winning, winning, and winning some more. I don’t think about anything else.”
Photo Credit: Twitter/ChelseaFC