Chelsea defender Thiago Silva admits he was surprised by how the fans instantly welcomed him.

He admitted it came as a surprise to be accepted so quickly at his new club, while the sound of the supporters singing his name is the best motivation he could ask for, believing he owes them a responsibility to repay their faith.

"I didn't expect to have so much recognition in such a short time and now I'm being cheered that way, so it's certainly a source of great pride and I feel very proud to be part of this club," he told the club's website.

"The chant gets stuck in my head. When I enter the stadium some of them start singing and then it spreads to the other side. It really motivates me a lot but at the same time it gives me a big responsibility because I know they count on me to be at a high level so that I don't concede goals.

"I think that somehow the singing gives me a special motivation so that I can in some way shield our goal, together with the other players, obviously, so that we leave without conceding a goal and with the win."