Thiago Silva says he dreams of returning to former club Fluminense before he retires, drawing inspiration from Paolo Maldini as he nears the end of his career.
The Brazil defender, now 36, plans on playing until he is 40 after spending time shadowing Maldini when he first joined AC Milan.
Silva joined Chelsea on an initial one-year contract with the option of extending for a further year but, while his current objective is the Premier League, it is his boyhood club and the Copa Libertadores which have truly captured his imagination.