Chelsea legend John Terry shares heartfelt message to exit-bound Thiago Silva ahead of latter's last game for the club

Chelsea legend John Terry shared a heartfelt message on his Instagram for Thiago Silva, who is set to leave the club this summer. The Brazilian defender will leave as a free agent and return to Palmeiras.

The Blues signed Silva as a free agent in 2020 after he left Paris Saint-Germain. He has made 112 Premier League appearances for the west London side, helping them keep 32 clean sheets. He's often been a leader at the heart of their defense, helping them win one UEFA Champions League trophy, among other honors.

Ahead of the final Premier League matchday of the season (May 19), Chelsea legend John Terry posted a picture of Silva on Instagram with the caption:

"Good Luck today in what will be an emotional day at the Bridge. @chelseafc Thank you for everything you have done for our club, we Love You my friend.

"It’s been a pleasure to watch you play week after week, to watch you train and see how you look after yourself before games and after games has been inspiring, I just wish I was a few years younger because I would have loved to have played alongside you at the back. 👊🏻💙💙⛔️

"Good luck for the future @thiagosilva. JT. LEGEND 💙"

Silva, 39, has made 37 appearances across competitions this season and also contributed four goals and one assist.

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Chelsea host Bournemouth in final game of the season

The Blues have had a disappointing 2023-24 campaign but it has been a major improvement from last season, where they finished 12th in the Premier League. Chelsea reached the Carabao Cup final and the FA Cup semi-finals this season. They are also currently sixth in the league standings.

The west London side will host Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge in their final game of the season on Sunday. If they win and Tottenham Hotspur lose against Sheffield United, the Blues could even finish fifth and secure a UEFA Europa League spot.

A sixth-place finish will also take them to the Europa League. However, if eighth-placed Manchester United beat Manchester City in the FA Cup final on May 25, they will qualify for the Europa League. In that case, Chelsea will be demoted to the Europa Conference League.

Bournemouth, meanwhile, played out a goalless draw against the Blues in the reverse fixture this season. They have lost their last two games while Mauricio Pochettino's side are on a four-game winning run.