Exuberant as ever, but David Luiz's 'big risks' have paid off in all the right ways for him and Chelsea this season

David Luiz has faced his fair share of criticism over the years. It was Gary Neville who, during the Brazilian’s first stint at Chelsea, memorably compared his style of play to “a 10-year-old in the crowd on a Playstation”. Many went further, such were the defender’s flamboyant but dangerously erratic qualities on the pitch.

Luiz’s return to Stamford Bridge last summer, then, was met with derision – and understandably so. Having been phased out of the club by Jose Mourinho in 2014 and then embarrassed by Germany in the World Cup semi-final that summer, the defender’s arrival at Cobham late last August left numerous observers perplexed.

But amid the ridicule and criticism, manager Antonio Conte stuck by the £34m signing. “David Luiz is 29 - a fantastic age for him to become one of the best defenders in the world,” he predicted. Having overseen the transformations of Giorgio Chiellini, Andrea Barzagli and Leonardo Bonucci in Italy, here was a man who knew what he was talking about.

Ten months on, with a Premier League title to boast about, a domestic double on the cards, and a bright future beckoning, Conte’s words have been vindicated. Luiz’s metamorphosis has been remarkable, establishing him at the core of Chelsea’s 3-4-3 system. Calmer, more composed, more intelligent, the Brazilian has looked impervious at the back this season.

But as Luiz admits himself, the return to Chelsea was a “risk” – but not one he took in order to prove his critics wrong. “I have to take a risk to feel something for myself not for others,” he said ahead of Chelsea’s FA Cup against Arsenal. “I was winning in Paris. I went to Paris for two years and won all the titles in France. I had a great life, I had a great credibility with the club, I have everything in Paris and then I took a risk to come back in one country that was not that happy with me.

“They always criticise me a lot even with the Champions League, Europa League, play all the games and that's it and that's why it was a risk. And I love the risk.”

This affinity for risk-taking is what made Luiz such a spectacle to watch during his early days at the Bridge but, more often than not, rarely carried little reward. Flippant and rash, the defender’s “Playstation” moments proved costly.

But this time around, Luiz has demonstrated a greater understanding of when to act on his creative impulses. The Brazilian’s on-pitch “risks” have not been entirely quashed but, instead, are now more appropriately timed – as encapsulated by his sublime free-kick against Liverpool at Anfield. Flashing with the opportunistic creativity of a central-attacking midfielder, Luiz acted on instinct without putting his side in danger. It paid off in style. When circumstance has permitted, the 29-year-old continues to embrace his bravura – much to the benefit of his teammates.

Risk-taking, it seems, is an attitude Luiz carries with him throughout life and, as he explains, drove him to return to the Bridge last August. But why? “If you don’t take risks in your life you never feel something new so I taste something new and I like that. I don't like to stay always with the easy life so that's why I took the risk and today I am very happy.

“I think in your life if you don’t take a risk you’re not going to taste something new. Not just in your professional life, I think it’s every day. I’m very happy because I took the decision and it was the right decision.”

Luiz, however, won’t take all the credit for himself. The defender was quick to acknowledge Conte’s influence on himself and the club too. “Conte is a great person, a great character and he’s passionate — he loves football. The day I arrived here we talked together and he tried to explain his philosophy to play football. He said to me: “You are the player I want in my team and to improve my team”, and then I said to him: “I’m going to work hard for you and for the team” and that’s it.”

Looking back, very few would have paired the two together: Conte, with his disciplined, hard-nosed, tough-love approach, and Luiz, a bouncing, energetic ball-playing-defender. Two men at the opposing end of the football spectrum. But against the odds, it’s a partnership that has borne countless fruits for Chelsea. And at the heart of it all? David Luiz’s big risk.