‘We talk online a lot’ – Trevoh Chalobah reveals close bond with Chelsea legend Thiago Silva

Trevoh Chalobah has revealed that his relationship with Chelsea legend Thiago Silva remains strong despite the pair now being separated by thousands of miles.

Chalobah played alongside Silva during the Brazilian defender’s influential spell at Chelsea, where he became an important mentor to a younger generation of defenders at Stamford Bridge.

Silva joined Chelsea from Paris Saint-Germain in 2020 and went on to help the club win the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup. His performances also earned him Chelsea’s Player of the Year award for the 2022/23 season.

For Chalobah, the opportunity to share the dressing room with Silva fulfilled a long-held ambition after years of studying the defender’s performances.

“Thiago has been a person I have always looked up to,” Chalobah said.

“All the time when I was in school I used to watch YouTube videos of him, compilations of his game, from the time he was at AC Milan. To finally play with him at Chelsea was amazing and another dream come true.”

Silva’s influence goes beyond the pitch

Chalobah broke into Chelsea’s first team during the 2021/22 campaign, Silva’s second season in west London, and the two defenders regularly featured together before the Brazilian left the club in 2024.

Although their careers have since taken them in different directions, their relationship has remained intact.

Silva is now back in Brazil with Fluminense, while Chalobah has continued his career in Italy with Como, where he is working under former Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas.

Despite the distance, Chalobah said he remains in regular contact with his former teammate and continues to draw from the lessons he learned while playing alongside him.

“I’m always in contact with him. When he was at Chelsea, I used to study his recovery and how he performed and operated,” he said.

One of Silva’s biggest lessons for Chalobah was the importance of anticipating situations before they develop, something the England defender has carried into his own game.

“That’s what I learned from him: the ‘what if’ situation. He always used to say: what if this happens or (that happens)?”

From Chelsea pupil to Como regular

Chalobah also revealed that the pair continue to keep in touch through social media, with their friendship surviving Silva’s move back to South America.

“We talk online a lot, on Instagram,” he said.

The 27-year-old even crossed paths with Silva away from club football when the Brazilian was in attendance for England’s meeting with Spain.

“Funnily enough, he was at the England-Spain game watching, so that was good.”

Chalobah is now entering a significant stage of his career at Como, having moved on from his formative years at Chelsea.

His development alongside Silva gave him the opportunity to learn directly from one of the most experienced defenders of his generation, while his current work under Fabregas offers another influential figure as he approaches what should be the prime years of his career.

Silva’s influence, however, appears to remain a lasting part of Chalobah’s development, with the Como defender still maintaining the close relationship they built during their time together at Stamford Bridge.