Willian, who departed Olympiakos in December, has signed on to stay at Craven Cottage for the remainder of the 2024/25 season.
Silva highlighted Willian’s experience and quality, expecting him to make a valuable impact in Fulham’s campaign.
“The reception and the way everyone has welcomed him again speaks volumes about himself,” said Silva in his pre-Wigan press conference.
“He’s a top professional, not just on the pitch but off the pitch as well. Of course, the main thing is to have good players who can help the team win games, but at the same time, you need to have the right characters in the dressing room as well. He comes into training every day with a smile on his face.
“As a footballer, he fits really well with the way we want to play.
"It’s probably going to take him two or three weeks to be in the best shape he can be, because he’s not played in the last month and a half.
“He wanted to come back to Fulham. I have a great relationship with him from a personal point of view. He was an important player in the last two seasons and he helped the club achieve important things. Let’s hope in 15/20 days we can have him back at his best level and he can embrace the challenge ahead of him.”