Former Blues boss Antonio Conte has singled out Chelsea legend John Terry for being highly influential and helping him win the Premier League title in his first season at Stamford Bridge.
Terry was slowly eased out of the Chelsea team by the Italian boss Conte who went on to win the Premier League title in the 2016/17 season which proved to be the legendary Blues captain’s last season as a player at Stamford Bridge.
MORE: Tottenham open talks over beating Chelsea to potential £40million transfer
Conte has now hailed Terry’s impact on the squad that season and has stated that coaching the Blues legend was a ‘great privilege’.
Speaking to Sky Sports about Terry and his title win at Chelsea, Conte said:
“It was a great privilege for me to be the coach of a Chelsea legend like John Terry,”
“We are talking about a top man, a really good man and then a top player. He helped me a lot in my first season in and out of the pitch.”
“He was very important in the training ground, during the sessions to keep the concentration standards high.”
Speaking about Terry’s send-off by being substituted in the 26th minute while receiving a guard of honour from his teammates against Sunderland, Conte said:
“He decided he wanted this because 26 was his squad number and for me it was a pleasure to give him this opportunity.
“I will never be able to thank him enough. He was very important for me and our team.” the Italian manager added.
Terry would play his last game in a Chelsea shirt against Sunderland that season and then went on to join Aston Villa, first as a player and then as a coach.
However, Conte’s admission comes as no surprise given the massive impact Terry had on his boyhood club Chelsea through the years and his send-off was befitting for the most decorated captain in the club’s history.