Thiago Silva has described Joao Pedro as a ‘special’ player after his two goals sealed Chelsea’s 2-0 win over Fluminense to reach the Club World Cup final.
Chelsea completed their £60 million deal to sign Pedro from Brighton last week and the 23-year-old came off the bench to make his debut in the 2-0 quarter-final win against Palmeiras last Friday.
The Brazilian forward was handed his first start for Chelsea’s Club World Cup semi-final on Tuesday evening and put Enzo Maresca’s side in front with a superb long-range strike against his former club.
Pedro doubled Chelsea’s lead after half time with a crashing finish and was crowned ‘Superior Player of the Match’ for his performance at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
When asked about Pedro’s performance against Fluminense, Silva told Globo: ‘This kid is special, I have a lot of affection for him.
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‘A while ago, I recommended him to the people who take care of my physical health. He works with my physiotherapist in Europe, who also takes care of my children.
‘I faced him a few times at Chelsea, when he was still at Watford, and he had two great games against us. I said, ‘Man, this kid is special’.
‘I didn’t expect him to be inspired today, he hit some great shots. One of our kids knocked us out of such an important competition, but good luck to him.’
Chelsea will now play either Real Madrid or Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup final this Sunday.
Silva spent eight years at PSG before his free transfer to Chelsea in 2020 and admits his loyalty will be ‘divided’ if his two former clubs meet in Sunday’s final.
‘I now hope Chelsea can do well in the final, regardless of who they face,’ Silva said.
‘If it’s Paris Saint-Germain, my heart will be divided. If it’s Real Madrid, I’m definitely rooting for Chelsea.
‘Now it’s time to lift our heads, wish Joao Pedro luck, and move on.’
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