AC Milan: Why Thiago Silva Should Be Named Captain on a Permanent Basis

When AC Milan destroyed Chievo Verona on Sunday, 27-year-old center back Thiago Silva was wearing the captain's armband for the first time at Milan in this, his third, season.

The Brazilian has become a household name worldwide because of his incredible play at the San Siro. His name is regularly followed by the phrase "one of the best defenders in the world."

Despite Milan's tradition of handing the armband to the most veteran player in the squad (even though from Sunday's lineup, Luca Antonini and Alexandre Pato have served Milan longer), Massimiliano Allegri may want to consider giving the armband to Silva on a permanent basis.

There are nearly a dozen players at AC Milan with more experience in red and black than Silva, but there are many reasons to move away from the seniority rules and give him the armband.

To look at one reason, most of the senior players who generally wear the armband are seen as surplus to the team. Many of them are on the verge of leaving. Massimo Ambrosini is the official captain, but his appearance in the squad is not one that is desired by many fans. Gennaro Gattuso, the vice-captain, has been out all season after nearly losing all the vision in his left eye. Clarence Seedorf sees the most appearances but rumors have him leaving the club in January. Alessandro Nesta is set to retire. A change needs to be made.

There's several other reasons to give him the armband and they are laid out in the following slides.

Heart of the Team

Thiago Silva is a leader, armband or not.

The 27-year-old asserted himself as a catalyst in the Milan squad from the time Leonardo let him onto the field for the first time during the 2009-10 season.

Whether it's providing a spark from the back that helps Milan make a run up the pitch or it's running up into the box as a target on a corner, Silva affects the outcome of a match.

He has influenced the outcome of many matches in his Milan days. He is always crucial with his goal-saving tackles and rock solid defending—and, of course, the occasional ball that goes flying off his head into the net, like the one against Barcelona in September, bringing Milaniste everywhere to their feet.

Following the Footsteps of Two Idols

Thiago Silva has regularly declared his desire to be the captain of the club, stating that he dreams of following in the footsteps of two of his idols: Paolo Maldini (who Silva was brought in to replace) and Franco Baresi. They are two former Milan center backs and captains of the club and two of the greatest defenders of all time.

From 1982 to 2009, the club was captained by first Baresi and then Maldini. During that time, the two won an incredible amount of trophies, a lot of them together, and became two of the best of all time.

Since 2009, Massimo Ambrosini has been the captain. Usually, when Ambrosini hasn't appeared, Clarence Seedorf, Gennaro Gattuso and now former Milan star Andrea Pirlo wore the armband. All of them are midfielders.

Thiago Silva wants to follow in the footsteps of his preceding center backs and lead the club while being the most feared center back in the world.

World Class Player

There's no denying that Thiago Silva is one of the greatest defenders in the world.

Milan last year allowed only 24 goals en route to the Scudetto. Silva is a key reason for this and many fan polls labeled him the Player of the Year for the club.

There's very few players that can even compare to him in the middle of the defensive third. Many consider Silva among the top two center backs, along with Nemanja Vidic of Manchester United.

AC Milan have a way of finding themselves possessing one of (if not the best) backs in the world. In one of the most important positions on the field, its important to have one of the best players leading the way. A knowledgeable, talented, leader in the back is a vital part of a team.

Class Act

You never hear controversial statements out of his mouth. He always shows respect and maturity. Also, how many times have you see Thiago Silva booked in his nearly two-and-a-half seasons with Milan? Four times total. Three times in 2009-10 and once last season.

Thiago Silva is a class act in every way. He is held in the highest regard by all his teammates and coaches. He is well respected in the football community. A captain is supposed to embody everything a player should be. Silva is that guy.

He never talks down about an opponent. Even when rumors were swirling about a summer transfer, he was very respectful, thanking the other team for their interest but declaring that he intended to stay with Milan.

Maldini embodied everything that Silva does. No other player on Milan reminds me more of Maldini then Silva.

He Loves AC Milan

The last time a player was this much in love with the club, Paolo Maldini was being celebrated as his incredible career came to an end.

Thiago Silva made a big move this summer when he rejected the advances of Barcelona, considered the biggest club in the world.

Barcelona had Silva on the radar ever since he broke into the Milan starting XI and thought they saw an opportunity to land the Brazilian this summer. Silva merely said thanks, but no thanks.

Instead, he signed a contract which keeps him at Milan until June 2016.

He is always excited to take the pitch for Milan and has been noted as saying on several occasions that he wants to spend his career at Milan, wear the captain's armband and bring glory to the club. That's the kind of player everyone should want as their captain.