Saul Niguez has revealed how Chelsea teammate Thiago Silva supported him after his debut for the club against Aston Villa.
The 26-year-old was hooked at half-time just after 45 minutes into his first appearance for his new club following his loan move to west London last month, which sees the club have the option to able to buy him on a permanent basis for £30 million next summer.
Saul struggled on his debut to adapt to his new surroundings and the intensity of the Premier League, getting caught in possession on several occasions.
But the Spaniard isn’t the first and won’t be the last of a player struggling in a new country on their debut. It takes time to adapt. Chelsea are more than familiar to this tale.
In recent times, Kai Havertz and Timo Werner took their time to settle into life at Stamford Bridge following moves from Germany last summer. While Thiago Silva also had a debut to forget against West Brom last season after arriving from PSG.
Silva, who knew all too well what Saul would have been going through, was quick to offer his support to the midfielder after Saturday’s victory, providing comfort and a personal experience to ease any fears.
What Saul Niguez said
In an interview with journalist Fabrizio Romano, Saul admitted: “After my poor performance in my first match (against Aston Villa), Thiago Silva in particular supported me a lot. ‘My first game with Chelsea was much worse, believe me and don’t worry’ he said.”
Saul’s next opportunity to play will be against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday afternoon when the Blues travel across the capital to north London to face Nuno Espirito Santo’s side.
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