Frank Lampard: Thiago Silva's winning mentality can drive Chelsea forward
Frank Lampard says "winner" Thiago Silva will drive Chelsea towards silverware as the centre-back prepares for his debut tonight.
The Brazilian, who turned 36 yesterday, is set to be involved against Barnsley at Stamford Bridge tonight, his first game since the Champions League final with Paris Saint-Germain in August.
Chelsea are usually hesitant to keep player's of Silva's vintage around the club, but Lampard knows his young squad need some experience around them.
Lampard said: "Thiago Silva is a leader and I spoke to lots of people that have worked with him before he came, out of interest to find out if what he looked like from afar was true, and everybody said the same thing: his absolute commitment to being a winner, to helping his team-mates, to improving all the time.
"I loved his statements about winning and winning and winning. But they’re easy to make those statements.
"It's about how you train and your actions and the first week he's been with us - even though he doesn't speak the language well - he gives off the feeling of someone who will affect people around him, organise people around him and drive the team.
"That's certainly something we needed. We have good, experienced players; we have a fantastic captain at this club in [Cesar] Azpilicueta, but someone like Thiago will massively help in terms how they hold themselves day to day and how players around them look up to them."
Silva has no concerns over his ability to keep up with the pace of the Premier League at his age, and is working towards breaking down the language barrier as fast as possible.
"It’s going to be difficult, it always is with a new language," said Silva. "But you are speaking to someone who speaks Italian, French and Spanish and Portuguese. The tendency when you learn some languages, others come easier.
“I am going to learn English as quickly as possible. It’s quite uncomfortable for me, being here, giving this interview with someone else interpreting for me so I would like to give interviews in English soon. I’m studying Monday to Friday to speak English."
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