Chelsea defender Thiago Silva has stated his desire to follow in Paolo Maldini’s footsteps and play beyond the age of 40.
Speaking to Chelsea’s official website, the 37-year-old was quoted saying:
“I hope I can do the same thing that [Paolo] Maldini did at Milan, playing until he was 40 or 41 years old,” “That’s my plan for the immediate future and I have prepared myself for that.
“When you’re young, you think you’re a superhero. I’d play one game a day so in terms of recovery it was a lot quicker, whereas now 24 hours seems like no time at all in which to recover.
“You’ve always got to be active and up to speed with the new recovery methods out there. I’ve got lots of things I do at home like physio work, and nowadays I’ve got a better diet than before. You need to fuel yourself well, not with the bad stuff.
“This is part of what I’ve got to do so that I can optimise this recovery process, which for me needs to be quicker.”
The duo played together at AC Milan, albeit for a brief spell in 2009 in the twilight of Maldini’s career. Still, it is safe to say that the legendary Italian defender left a lasting impression on his Brazilian teammate.
Silva has become a popular figure in West London since joining from Paris Saint-Germain due to his top-level performances which have seen him and The Blues win the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup in the last 10 months.
Unsurprisingly, he was offered a one-year contract extension back in January and will now remain at Stamford Bridge until the summer of 2023 at the least.
His recent comments could suggest he plans to remain with the European champions even beyond then which is music to the ears of the Chelsea faithful as Silva continues to exhibit no signs of slowing down.
