England legend John Terry names Chelsea star who ‘reminds me of myself’

John Terry has raved astir the imaginable of Chelsea academy merchandise Alfie Gilchrist and said helium was ‘reminded of himself’ erstwhile watching the young defender train.

During his 19-year playing vocation astatine Stamford Bridge, Terry established himself arsenic 1 the Premier League’s best-ever centre-backs.

Capped 78 times for his country, the Englishman skippered Chelsea to each 5 of their league titles and kept 214 cleanable sheets successful 492 appearances – the astir of immoderate defender.

Having hung up the boots, Terry spent clip distant from the Blues, moving astatine some Aston Villa and Leicester City nether Dean Smith but returned to the West London nine successful 2021 to assistance bring done the adjacent procreation of talents astatine the club’s academy.

In that time, respective young players person made the palmy leap into the archetypal squad but fewer person near Terry much impressed than centre-back Gilchrist.

‘Literally from the archetypal grooming league successful which I saw him, helium reminded maine of myself,’ Terry said, told the Daily Mail erstwhile asked astir the 20-year-old. ‘He was keen to learn, asking maine questions astir defending and perpetually picking my brains implicit what I would bash successful antithetic situations.

‘And he’s 100 per cent successful everything helium does. Whether that’s the warm-up to get him going, he’s all-in. You don’t ever privation to instrumentality that away. Even connected his betterment days, he’s 100 miles per hour.

‘As helium gets older, he’ll recognize however to negociate that and however to be. But it’s a large trait to person for a young subordinate and it tin surely acceptable you apart.

‘If you’re astatine Chelsea, you’ve got large quality successful the archetypal spot to beryllium there. But it’s truly important for younger players to person that mentality and Alfie had that successful abundance adjacent from an aboriginal age.’

Gilchrist, a boyhood instrumentality of the nine increasing up, made his debut nether Mauricio Pochettino past play and celebrated wildly aft scoring his debut first-team extremity successful a 6-0 triumph implicit Everton successful April.

Now connected indebtedness astatine Sheffield United successful the Championship, Gilchrist, who is mentored by Terry, has his eyes connected a regular starting berth successful Enzo Maresca’s broadside adjacent season.

And the erstwhile Blues skipper is assured that Gilchrist tin fulfil his ambitions.

‘Even erstwhile I was having conversations with Alfie, he’d conscionable breached into the Under 21s, which was great, but helium had targets helium wanted to deed – cleanable expanse target, extremity target, and helium wanted to marque his debut for the archetypal team,’ Terry added.

‘Hopefully, helium comes backmost to Chelsea and breaks done into our team.

‘When you spot the journeys of these young players, and you play a tiny portion successful helping them, it’s truly rewarding for me, being Chelsea done and through.

‘I emotion it. Alfie and each of his household are Chelsea, too, truthful I cognize heavy down helium wants to travel backmost and interruption through.’

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