The past season and half at Chelsea have not been ideal for Thiago Silva, but even at 39 years old, the Brazilian continues to show his world-class ability, and because of that he deserves to be given his flowers.
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The act of handing an individual their roses/flowers is universally recognised as an acknowledgement of love and/or praise. It is an expressive way of showing an individual affection and given what the legendary centre-back has been going through recently at Stamford Bridge, he may need to be given some.
Last season was the worst league campaign in 29 years at the Blues as the club went through an insane amount of change. It was the first full season that the Todd Boehly-led consortium were in charge and their massive investment in the squad couldn't have gone any worse. Many of the squad, new and old, played below the required level, but even at his relatively old age, Silva was the one glimmering light within the team. This was an unfamiliar position for somebody who had grown accustomed to winning at least one trophy every season for the past decade, first with AC Milan, then with Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea.
While previous owner Roman Abramovich focused on bringing already established world-class talent to the English capital, the new American owners have so far had a more long-term vision, having mostly spent big on prodigious young talent. Despite this major transition, the son of the Camp Grande favelas has still been able to illustrate how invaluable experience is.
Why does Silva deserve his flowers?
What he has been able to so late in his career with the Pride of London is exemplary enough, but it's what he has had to overcome and how long he has been playing at the top level that makes his career all the more impressive. While many recall his time at Brazilian giants Fluminense as the catalyst to his glittering career, the well-versed centre-back actually caught the eye of European clubs when he was 19 and playing for second division side, Juventude.
It was there that he was spotted by Portuguese juggernauts FC Porto. While in the Iberian Peninsula, the Rio de Janeiro native played for the club's second team but in a bid to get his first-team career back on track, he agreed a move to Dynamo Moscow. After a handfull of sessions with the Russian side, however, Silva found out that he had contracted near-fatal tuberculosis, with the illness sidelining him for the next 12 months.
By this time, he had fallen out of favour among European clubs so he decided to return to his homeland to revive his career, and so he did. Three years after recovering from being ill, the Brazil international would be on the move to Europe once again, this time to the cathedral that was the San Siro to play for AC Milan, and it was there where he developed into one of the game's outstanding central defenders.
Playing alongside legendary players such as Alessandro Nesta and Paolo Maldini equipped him not only with the necessary footballing qualities, but also the leadership traits to then make the move to PSG. At the Parc des Princes, he became skipper and then arguably the club's most accomplished player ever, winning a total of 25 major honours in the French capital.
One trophy was, however, missing from his trophy cabinet: The UEFA Champions League. Having lost the tournament final in the 2019/20 season with Les Parisiens, and with his contract at the French club expiring, it seemed destined that he would never get to hold the trophy aloft. That off-season, though, Chelsea handed him a lifeline as they acquired his services on a free transfer.
He did not have the best of starts to life at the club under Frank Lampard, but after Thomas Tuchel was appointed in December 2020, that all changed as a season after the duo were defeated in the Champions League final by Bayern Munich, they helped the London club claim its second Champions League title
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What's next for Silva?
Not even the player himself knows what is next as he is now in his fourth season with Chelsea. In a recent interview with Sky Sports Italia, he said: "The end of my career is approaching and it's not easy.
"I have to think if I retire or if I continue, and where I go. There's the family, I have two sons who play for Chelsea. At the moment I'll take the opportunity to play and make the most of this last year of my contract at Chelsea. But I'm very happy and proud of the career I've had, of what I'm doing now at 39 years old."
He should be proud of his career, because not many people would have been able to endure what he has and still been able to reach the summit of European football.
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