Willian has played for some of the best managers in world football during his established career, working under the likes of Jose Mourinho, Antonio Conte and even the emerging talent of Mikel Arteta.
Despite having spent just one season at Fulham under Marco Silva, though, Willian believes the Portuguese boss can become one of the best in the world while discussing what made him move to Craven Cottage in the summer of 2022.
"When I quit Corinthians in August, I had no idea where I’d head next – I didn’t have any concrete offer," Willian tells FourFourTwo. "I just left and returned to London, hoping that something would come up eventually. It was then that I found out Marco Silva had been speaking to my agent.
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"I’d been back in town for only a couple of days when I talked to Marco. It was a great conversation, and he asked if we could meet up the following day. He explained how the team played, the goals for the season, and what he wanted from me. It felt like two things had come together, you know?
"I love London, my family loves London and we’d be able to live here again, and I’d also return to the Premier League. I had received offers from abroad and also had approaches from other English clubs, but I really enjoyed my chat with Marco and felt a lot of confidence from him. I’m happy that my decision paid off and that we’ve done very well this season.
"It wasn’t a specific thing he said," Willian explains, "but I left the meeting impressed by his character. He has that human touch that’s key in football these days. He’s a great manager with the potential to become one of the world’s best."
Now 34, time isn't on the Brazilian's side anymore unfortunately. He has just been offered a new one-year deal to stay at Fulham, though, with the option of an extra year should he perform as impressively as he managed in the 2022/23 campaign.
He's not fearing retirement, though, having already mapped his post-football career so that's he not lost when he finally does hang his boots up.
"I’m already preparing for becoming a football agent," he reveals. "I want to play for four or five more years and we know that time flies, so I think the best way is to start planning ahead.
"It won’t be that I’ll quit and then figure out what to do next; instead it’ll be a matter of putting what I’ve been studying in motion. I speak with a lot of people about it and, whenever I have the chance, I even try to watch youth matches at our training ground to analyse things and learn what to look out for.
"We never know what the future holds for us, but my idea is to continue living in London after I’ve finally hung up my boots."
