Trevoh Chalobah admitted that it is something of a dream to be sharing the Chelsea dressing room with Thiago Silva.
Chalobah opened up about his admiration for the iconic Brazilian in an interview with the 5th Stand.
Trevoh at the top of his game
The young defender has been fortunate enough to learn from Silva throughout the season, having returned to Thomas Tuchel’s squad full-time following several loan spells away.
Clearly, the additional teaching continues to work in Chalobah’s favour.
He is now an established and essential member of the senior group, after previously being overlooked by every manager before Tuchel.
His confidence and quality has risen in coordination with the high-level opposition he faces week-in-week-out.
Just take the Carabao Cup final for example.
Chalobah had only played 90 minutes once since December before embarking on the two-hour slog with Liverpool’s forwards, which included Mo Salah, Sadio Mane, Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota.
Jurgen Klopp’s attackers found little joy against the Cobham academy graduate on Sunday, who helped Chelsea keep a clean sheet at Wembley.
Uncoincidentally, the man guiding Chalobah through the match also put on another sterling performance.
Silva shows the way
Silva rose to the grand occasion as he always does with perfect poise and elegancy.
Budding professionals should take a leaf, or a whole chapter, out of the 37-year-old’s footballing novel.
This is something Chalobah confessed to doing whilst emerging through Chelsea’s ranks, but via a screen rather than a page.
“I came to Chelsea aged eight or nine, and I was actually a striker. I moved to centre-back and I used to always look at Thiago Silva,” he explained.
“I watched videos of him on YouTube and implemented my game like his. Sharing a pitch with him now is unreal.”
Chalobah and all the other young players within Tuchel’s squad, not to mention around the club, can certainly learn a lot from Silva and his fellow well-travelled comrades.
Cesar Azpilicueta is another prime example of an inspirational figure, with the likes of Jorginho, Antonio Rudiger and Edouard Mendy not far behind.
“When the manager spoke to me after (Crystal) Palace, he said you need to stay with the likes of Thiago, Azpi and Rudiger to learn from,” continued Chalobah.
“I’ve done the games, I’ve done the experience and now it is time to learn from the senior players.”
One day Trevoh, it will be you doing the teaching.
Keep up to date with all the latest Chelsea news and opinion by following The Chelsea Chronicle’s Facebook and Twitter accounts
Receive a digest of our best Chelsea content each week direct to your mailbox
