Chelsea already have a former player as part of their backroom staff under Enzo Maresca, and the club are reportedly keeping a spot ready for another when he is ready to get into coaching.
Willy Caballero was handed the responsibility of leading the Blues for the trip to Nottingham Forest after Maresca’s red card against Liverpool for wild celebrations amid Estevao Willian’s winning goal.
As the Blues continue to build a young, exciting squad of players who only seem to be lacking experience in the key moments, having people in the setup who have seen everything there is in the game will certainly be a positive.
One former Chelsea player who fits that bill is Thiago Silva. The 41-year-old is still playing for Fluminense, and took on the Blues in the semi-finals of the Club World Cup.
Enzo Maresca looks on ahead of Chelsea vs Sunderland
Photo by Chris Lee – Chelsea FC/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
This outing allowed the veteran defender to get a good look at the current Chelsea squad, and Silva singled out Joao Pedro for praise after he sent the Blues to the final with two goals.
Despite leaving the club back in 2024, the relationship is still extremely strong, and Simon Phillips has stated that the Blues could already have a place available in their setup for Silva when he finally retires from playing.
He said on his Substack: “Thiago has everything in place to go into coaching when he retires from the game, and I’ve even heard for some time that Chelsea may have a coaching position available for him to start that journey. We have to watch this space on that one. But he wants to get into management and will begin that next chapter soon.”
It has already been a good week for the family at Chelsea, after Thiago’s son, Iago, was given his first chance to impress England at the U15 level.
READ MORE: Thiago Silva’s emotional reaction as Chelsea son Iago gets call-up to England squad
Thiago Silva acknowledging Chelsea supporters after final appearance for club
Photo by Gaspafotos/MB Media/Getty Images
Thiago Silva already has admirers at Stamford Bridge
Despite many of the current players not actually featuring alongside the Brazilian during his time at Stamford Bridge, there are plenty who look up to him for the impact he has made throughout his career.
Jorrel Hato admitted he admires Silva, and is a young defender who would certainly benefit from an experienced head working with him.
It has even been reported that Silva is still helping Reece James as he continues to take the role of captain of the side, despite being just 25 years of age.
Hiring Silva would be an outstanding decision by the club, with him bringing a winning mentality to the club that is lacking amongst the inexperienced players and coaching staff.