Mauricio Pochettino, the new manager at Stamford Bridge, surprised everyone by appointing Reece James as Chelsea’s permanent captain, taking over from the departing Cesar Azpilicueta.

Mauricio Pochettino surprised everyone by appointing Reece James as Chelsea’s permanent captain

This choice, however, had to be reevaluated due to James’ hamstring injury during training, prompting the club to seek an interim captain until his return. In recent matches against West Ham United and Luton Town, Ben Chilwell, another defender, assumed the captain’s role.

Silva didn’t mind about captaincy

Interestingly, Chilwell handed over the armband to experienced teammate Thiago Silva on both occasions. But what’s intriguing is that Silva quickly passed it on to January signing Enzo Fernandez, displaying his lack of interest in the captaincy, even for a brief period.

Pochettino recently shed light on the decision to opt for James over Silva for the captaincy. In their initial conversation, Pochettino shared his vision for the team and was met with agreement and humility from Silva.

Silva’s maturity and leadership contribute significantly to the team’s development

He emphasized the importance of deserving playing time and highlighted Silva’s football prowess throughout his career. Pochettino recognized that while Silva brings a wealth of experience to the young squad, his role goes beyond wearing the armband. He explained that Silva’s maturity and leadership contribute significantly to the team’s development.

James and Chilwell will grown up by Silva

“At nearly 39, does Silva truly prioritize the armband?” Pochettino questioned. He went on to assert that a captain’s essence isn’t confined to a piece of cloth on the arm, stating that Silva embodies leadership just as much as James and Chilwell. Pochettino aims to nurture Reece and Chilwell’s captaincy qualities with Silva’s guidance, underscoring that the veteran’s influence extends far beyond formal titles.