‘God bless you!’ - Pafos defender David Luiz delivers presents to Chelsea defender and legendary staff member in touching gesture from former Blues star

Luiz has always been known as one of football’s great characters, a player whose infectious personality made him a cult hero during his two separate spells at Chelsea. On Wednesday evening, that warmth was on full display as the 38-year-old returned to west London with his current side, Pafos. Although he was unable to take to the field, Luiz ensured his visit was memorable for those who work behind the scenes, specifically seeking out legendary former press steward Brian Pullman.

Pullman, a fixture at Stamford Bridge for over half a century, retired in 2024 after an incredible 56 years of service to the club. He was a familiar and friendly face to generations of players, managers and journalists, and it is clear he made a lasting impression on Luiz during the Brazilian's tenure. In a touching private moment, Luiz presented Pullman with a signed Pafos shirt featuring a personalised message scrawled across the back.

The inscription read: “To my friend big friend Brian, god bless you,” accompanied by the defender's signature. It was a classy gesture that highlighted the deep bonds formed away from the cameras, acknowledging the staff members who are part of the fabric of the football club. For Luiz, who won the Champions League and Premier League with the Blues, returning to the Bridge was evidently about honouring those relationships as much as the football itself.

The generosity did not stop with retired staff. Luiz also took the time to connect with the current generation of Chelsea talent, gifting another shirt to defender Trevoh Chalobah. Chalobah was rising through the ranks of the Chelsea academy during Luiz's years as a senior professional at the club.

Luiz’s two stints at Chelsea - first from 2011 to 2014 and then again from 2016 to 2019 - coincided with Chalobah’s development in the youth setup. For a young defender learning his trade, having a character like Luiz in the building would have been influential, and the mutual respect between the two was evident. Chalobah clearly appreciated the sentiment, taking to Instagram to share a photo of the gift and publicly thank the Brazilian veteran. It was a reminder of Luiz's enduring status as a senior figure who bridges the gap between the club's glorious past and its present squad.

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The only dampener on the evening was Luiz’s inability to play. The defender had been desperate to feature against his former employers in the Champions League but suffered a cruel injury setback just days before the trip. Luiz sustained the knock only 12 minutes into Pafos’s match against Olympiakos Nicosia on Saturday, leaving him devastated.

Despite the injury, he was determined to travel with the squad to London. He was named on the bench, though manager Albert Celades admitted candidly that it was “impossible” for him to actually make an appearance on the pitch. “For David Luiz, he is a legend of this club,” Celades said after the match. “It was a pity for him to be injured because he loves to be here. It was an amazing opportunity to share some moments that he had here with the fans.”

While the evening was heavy on nostalgia and emotion for Luiz, there was still a competitive Champions League fixture to be contested. On the pitch, Chelsea ultimately had too much quality for the Cypriot visitors, though Pafos gave a spirited account of themselves. The Blues secured a 1-0 victory thanks to a decisive second-half goal from midfielder Moises Caicedo.

The result was crucial for Chelsea, lifting them to eighth in the Champions League table as they look to secure their passage to the knockout stages. For Pafos and David Luiz, however, the night represented something different - a celebration of a journey that took a boy from Brazil to the very top of European football, and a chance to say a proper thank you to the place he once called home.