Chelsea now have no warrior in their team of fledglings. Thiago Silva’s departing leadership skills will leave a void… and he could even claim to be in their modern best XI, writes KIERAN GILL

Chelsea are not only losing a classy central defender in Thiago Silva. They are losing more prestige, more experience and more professionalism than you fear they can afford in the midst of what we may as well call ‘Project Youth’.

Silva, now 39, has confirmed he will leave when his contract expires at the end of this season. He could have departed in January when clubs in his homeland came calling but he stayed, having agreed to help Chelsea through to the summer.

Silva insisted in his teary farewell that he will be back at Cobham someday, most likely in a coaching capacity. He started his UEFA B licence two months ago and manager Mauricio Pochettino has often trusted him to deliver speeches on his behalf.

That included at half-time of Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Aston Villa. Chelsea were trailing 2-0 at the time when Silva tried to stir his young team-mates into believing they could come back. It worked, as they went on to earn the least they deserved in a point.

It underlined his level of influence as a defender so iconic that there were Chelsea fans on Monday happily admitting someone must be cutting onions in their households upon hearing the news. So iconic that he has a song named after him by AJ Tracey and Dave which some players choose to perform for their initiation.

Veteran Chelsea defender Thiago Silva has confirmed he will leave at the end of the season

In a tearful farewell message to supporters, Silva dropped a hint he would one day return

So iconic that he could easily claim to be a starter in Chelsea’s best XI of the modern era. If only we could have seen him alongside John Terry in that all-star team.

Silva himself performed as reliably as ever at Villa Park, only days after the sad passing of his grandmother, Dona Maria. It is now unclear whether he will wear the blue of Chelsea again, having picked up a groin problem towards the end of that performance.

Whatever happens, he will be at Stamford Bridge for the final game against Bournemouth on May 19 when Chelsea fan group We Are The Shed are planning a special display. That will give the supporters their chance to show their gratitude for the four years he gave them.

But as of next season, Chelsea’s fledglings will need to overcome not having this warrior by their side. It will be tackling and blocking and heading clear danger for another club – possibly Fluminense, the Brazilian side who remain interested in preventing him from retiring altogether, while he will also have options in England, Italy, Spain and, of course, Saudi Arabia.

Wherever he goes, Silva will remain heavily invested in Chelsea. His sons, Isago da Silva and Iago da Silva, are both in the club’s academy. 

Silva has been using the Professional Footballers’ Association to fulfil some of the practical elements of his coaching course – alongside Marc Cucurella, interestingly – but there is the possibility of him using Cobham. Frank Lampard did that before going on to become manager.

It was Lampard who signed Silva on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain in 2020. Originally, the plan was for him to stay a single year, hence why he penned such a short contract. But then followed another year, and then another, and another.

Silva may have played his last game for the club after suffering an injury against Aston Villa

Mauricio Pochettino’s squad will lack in experience next season – a heavy loss for them

Silva memorably lifted the Champions League trophy in 2021 and won several other accolades

It soon became apparent that, as well as his defensive nous, his leadership skills were so valuable that they could not let him leave. Silva was not only good for Chelsea. 

They were good for him also, as he finally lifted that elusive Champions League trophy which could not be won at PSG.

Chelsea will need to address his departure in the summer. In a squad of starlets, he was their expert in experience, and that is a heavy loss to a changing room that relied on his voice at Villa Park and many other venues.