Thiago Silva is loving life at Chelsea right now - and the Blues veteran revealed that he's 'living a dream' at Stamford Bridge after the Londoners closed in on a Champions League quarter-final spot.
Silva put in another imperious display at the back for Thomas Tuchel's side, who dispatched the reigning French champions thanks to goals from Kai Havertz and Christian Pulisic.
The result means that Chelsea will head into next month's second leg clash in France with a healthy two-goal cushion.
Silva has been a pivotal performer for the Blues, despite being in the twilight years of his career.
And after penning a new one-year contract extension earlier in the season, Silva has lifted the lid on how 'proud' he is to play for the club.
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“I feel like I’m living a dream here at Chelsea. I wasn’t expecting something like that. The fans are always singing my name… it’s magic. It’s a dream”, he told TNT Sports on Tuesday night.
“I’m really proud to play for Chelsea and their fans.”
The 37-year-old has played for a host of top clubs around the world before finally landing in the Premier League last year at the ripe old age of 36.
But the Brazilian star has adapted swimmingly to life in England - and his commanding presence played a key role in Chelsea's shock Champions League triumph last May.
The Blues are bidding to retain their European crown this year, and Tuesday night's 2-0 win over Lille should stand them in good stead to reach the quarter-final stage of the competition.
And by keeping a clean sheet against the French outfit, Chelsea became the first English team in history to win five consecutive home matches in Europe without conceding a goal.
Tuchel has taken Chelsea to another level defensively since his arrival, but Silva was actually signed by the German's predecessor, Frank Lampard.
And Lampard's old assistant at Stamford Bridge, former Blues youth coach Jody Morris, lauded Silva after his stunning display against Lille.
He told BBC Radio 5Live: “Extremely solid, especially in the second half. They totally controlled the game and Thiago Silva was unbelievable - it does not seem like he is getting older one bit.
“Kai Havertz, you have to give the manager credit for picking him and Havertz had one of his best games in a Chelsea shirt. N'Golo Kante was his world-class best. Lille didn't threaten enough and when they got close to the Chelsea goal ran into a brick wall.
“It was a really accomplished performance from Chelsea. The clean sheet is huge at home. With the games they have to catch up in with the league it may allow them to rotate the squad even more.
“It should've been more, that's the only disappointment that Thomas Tuchel will have, but you can't really moan about a 2-0 win in the last 16.
"Chelsea have been winning without playing their best and if some of these players start performing at the levels they're capable of then they could go on a long run.”
