Silva joined Chelsea after bringing an end to his eight-year stay in Ligue 1 with Paris Saint-Germain.
His arrival in the Premier League at the age of 36 was not welcomed by many fans and pundits as they thought he was past his prime.
Silva proved vital to Chelsea as he quickly transformed the defence particularly under Thomas Tuchel.
Chelsea’s defensive frailties under Frank Lampard in the 2019/2020 season got solved thanks to the presence of the veteran defender.
Silva is set to have his contract extension confirmed after helping the Blues win the Champions League.
Zola is impressed with Silva’s leadership qualities and insists he is a good example for the youngsters.
The Italian told Monday’s talkSPORT Breakfast: “I think one of the successes of this Chelsea team has been that he has been able to mix talented young players with more good experienced players.
“I do believe this is a very good mix. You have to have both because they both push each other.
“Thiago, I don’t know him personally, but I can see the way he behaves on the pitch and the way he plays, he must be very important for the young ones, in terms of being an example and ways to conduct yourself on the pitch.”
Silva played 34 games in all competitions for Chelsea in his debut season in England.
