Chelsea defender Toni Rudiger can't wait to team up with 'one of the best' Thiago Silva

Ex-PSG captain has Thiago Silva joined the Blues' training sessions and Rudiger is eager to learn from such an experienced player.

The German believes Thiago will be a massive boost to the whole team.

"He is one of the best of his generation, definitely," Antonio Rudiger told the official Chelsea website about his new teammate Thiago Silva.

"Of course, first of all, to learn from such a great player and everything, and also to have the chance to play alongside this type of player, it is massive. I think it gives everyone a boost and I’m looking forward to it."

The 35-year-old Brazilian has just started training with his new team, but manager Frank Lampard has already expressed hope that Thiago could be a leader in defence not unlike John Terry himself.

He'll have to wait, though: Silva will not feature in Monday's season opener against Brighton but could be available for Liverpool's visit to West London next Sunday.

Silva joined Chelsea on a free transfer following the expiry of his contract with PSG.

The Brazilian left the French side after leading them to 23 major trophies in 8 years, including a domestic treble in 2019/20 at the age of 35.