JOHN TERRY was the epitome of Chelsea’s golden era under Roman Abramovich.
The most successful captain in the club’s history now thinks the Blues are ready to challenge under new ownership.
GettyJohn Terry has told Chelsea they must aim for the title this Premier League season[/caption]
GettyTerry knows what that particular feat takes, leading the Blues to five titles himself[/caption]
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For all the chopping and changing at Stamford Bridge, Terry — who mentors players in the academy — can see a bright future after a summer of success.
Eight months ago, boss Enzo Maresca was shooting down suggestions of a title challenge.
Six months ago, the fans were chanting angrily towards their manager that they wanted “their Chelsea back”.
Since then, Todd Boehly’s Blues have claimed a Champions League place, won the Conference League and the Club World Cup.
And JT – who has exclusively revealed he’s made a decision about his own future in the game – does not think Maresca will talk down their title hopes any more.
The Chelsea legend, 44, told SunSport: “I really liked the honesty from the manager because the message is clear to the players. We’re not there yet.
“If you’re the manager now coming into that dressing room and you’re going, ‘We’ve got a chance this year’, the players will think we’ve got a chance. This year I think his message will be different.
“He was spot on because we were young, it was a little bit up and down last year. At the moment, we’re clearly building and moving in the right direction.
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GettyTerry also lifted the Champions with Chelsea[/caption]
“I’m not sitting here saying I want to wait five years to win another Premier League. We’ve got to go into it 100 per cent with the mindset of going, ‘Yes, we have to try to win the league this year’.
“Without a shadow of a doubt. But there’s other big competitions as well.
“You fight right to the end until it’s not possible. The Premier League was done last season, Liverpool were very good last year and rightly the winners. We have to compete for that again.”
Key to success will be whether or not the fledgling leaders within Maresca’s squad can find another level.
Reece James, 25, was called out by his manager last season for not doing enough as a captain but has stepped up since.
Centre-back Levi Colwill looked to be following in Terry’s footsteps at the back before his cruel ACL injury last week.
And Chelsea’s 15-time trophy-winning former skipper has long been impressed by Enzo Fernandez.
But James staying fit and leading on the pitch will be vital after missing months at a time with hamstring, knee and thigh problems.
Chelsea’s transfer deals
IN
Joao Pedro – from Brighton – £60m
Jamie Gittens – from Dortmund – £52m
Jorell Hato – from Ajax – £37m
Liam Delap – from Ipswich – £30m
Estevao – from Palmeiras – £29m
Dario Essugo – from Sporting Lisbon – £18.5m
Kendry Paez – from Independiente – £17.5m
Mamadou Sarr – from Strasbourg – £12.5m
TOTAL – £256.5m
OUT
Noni Madueke – to Arsenal – £52m
Joao Felix – to Al-Nassr – £44m
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall – to Everton – £28m
Djordje Petrovic – to Bournemouth – £25m
Lesley Ugochukwu – to Burnley – £25m
Bashir Humphreys – to Burnley – £15m
Mathis Amougou – to Strasbourg – £12.5m
Kepa Arrizabalaga – to Arsenal – £5m
Marcus Bettinelli – to Man City – £5m
TOTAL – £183.5m
Terry added: “For Reece, concentrate on staying fit and having a fully-fit season for him is the most important thing. He can make such a difference.
“We’ve seen the quality. When Reece is at it, he is the world’s best right-back.
“When you’ve picked up a couple of injuries like Reece has had, it’s difficult to really feel like you belong.
“So when you start demanding from people around you, when you’re the one not playing, that’s also very difficult.
“When you’re in the starting line-up week in, week out, it’s easy to command and run the dressing room — and the standards of the football club.”
Terry made more than 500 appearances as captain and says boss Jose Mourinho always demanded his skipper be robust and a regular.
JT said: “You need to be robust. You need to understand that you can push through little injuries, niggles, and you can kind of come out the other side of it.
“You need to manage your body throughout the week and all of that.”
As well as mentoring players in the Under-18s and U21s, Terry stops in to catch up and offer support to players such as James and Colwill.
He even spoke to the pair of defenders before this interview.
GettyCaptain Reece James has found regular football difficult to come by due to injury trouble[/caption]
AlamyLevi Colwill’s brutal ACL injury scuppered what was expected to be a strong season[/caption]
Terry added: “We talk generally about football and some situations — but it’s super relaxed.
“Out of pure respect, I don’t get too involved because I fully respect the manager and his role.
“I would never want to say something that goes against what he’s saying to those players.
“But the boys know I’m always there if they need me.
“Not just the defenders but the ones that have just arrived. Always here to help. That’s my role as someone who has been at Chelsea for so long and the club means the world to me.”
And that is the clubman role he wants some of his academy predecessors to take up.
Terry said: “You’ve got Reece and there’s a few other boys that really live and breathe Chelsea.
“But the boys that come in and really buy into the club, this is where the importance of Reece, Levi and the academy graduates really play an important role.
“This is how we do it. This is what we do at Chelsea. We win football trophies and we win cups on a regular basis.
“All the top clubs have that. Man United have that, Liverpool have that, Arsenal. Spurs not so much . . .
GettyTerry was an assistant under Dean Smith at Aston Villa and Leicester[/caption]
“But all the big football clubs have that — they find a way to win.
“So in terms of where we were last year . . . a little bit inexperienced. Thiago Silva left and all of that. But the team managed to find a way to win.”
Terry also believes recent successes will be transformative for the Blues.
While the Conference League would have been scoffed at during Terry’s era had it existed, now it is viewed as a stepping stone within the camp.
He said: “It gives you belief, back when we won our first one, the 2004-05 Carling Cup at Cardiff, it gives you belief that it can be done within the squad.
“When you’re a young group, it ripples throughout the whole squad of players.”
If this group can match what Terry and his team-mates did after that Carling Cup win 20 years ago, the Blues will be in for one hell of a ride once more.
John Terry is an investor in and ambassador for LEBOM — the low-stakes football betting app where It’s You vs Your Mates. 18+ BeGambleAware
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