Want to continue to play at this level and get to 2022 World Cup, proclaims Thiago Silva

Not a lot was expected from Thiago Silva when he signed for Chelsea from Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer last summer but the Brazilian has proven to be a key signing for the Blues this season. Despite injuries and a managerial change, the 36-year-old has made 24 appearances across all competitions with only injuries preventing that from changing. However, his form recently has dropped off the edge with Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen preferred over Silva.

That hasn’t changed anything for Silva who admitted, after Chelsea’s aggregate win over Porto, that he would like to keep playing for the Blues going forward. The club does have an option to trigger a one-year renewal in Silva’s contract at the end of this season and it saw the 36-year-old further added that he wants to keep playing at this level and maybe even play at the 2022 World Cup.

"I hope to continue like this. I want to continue to play at this level and get to the World Cup in 2022. Thomas Tuchel is doing an amazing job here at Chelsea," Silva told Sky Italia.

Even at 36, Thiago Silva hasn't lost a step with the Brazilian keeping the likes of Rudiger, Zouma and Christensen out of the Chelsea team under Frank Lampard and while things may have changed under Thomas Tuchel, he is still amongst the first-choices for the club. That saw Silva admit that he wants to play until he is well into his 40s, like Paolo Maldini and hopes to continue doing so especially at the highest level.

"My secret is hard work. All my career I prepared to reach the end stage. I took as my example Maldini who played until 40 with Milan. In the last six months we played together it was an extraordinary thing. From that moment I started to think that if I prepared I could be at that level at age 36. I still play in the Champions League which is the most important tourney I want to follow the path blazed by Maldini," he added.