Chelsea defender Thiago Silva reveals he wants to play until he is 40 or 41: ‘I can do the same thing that Paolo Maldini did at Milan.’
The Brazilian centre-back spent three seasons with the Rossoneri, moving to San Siro only a few months after Maldini’s retirement. He has become one of the best centre backs in the world, playing for eight years at PSG before joining Chelsea on a free transfer in 2020.
He has recently extended his Chelsea contract until 2023 and is not yet considering retiring.
“I hope I can do the same thing that Maldini did at Milan, playing until he was 40 or 41 years old,’ Thiago Silva told Chelsea’s official website.
“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,” he continued. “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 article published on Chelsea’s official website praises the ‘pioneering’ Milan Lab, described as’ a proactive painstakingly detailed programme focused on preventing rather than treating injuries.’
Thiago Silva played 119 games with Milan scoring six goals and winning two titles in Italy: one Serie A and one Supercoppa Italiana. The former Rossoneri star will turn 38 on September 22, so, if he’ll really follow in Maldini’s footsteps, there’s still plenty of time to see him in action.
Thiago Silva working hard to maintain high standards and keep on playing – The defender discusses how he masters rest, recovery and match preparation to remain at his peak for both club and country… https://t.co/zfBFZn9qtu
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