Former Chelsea midfielder Deco has urged the West London side to keep captain John Terry at the club as long as they can, Squawka reports.
The end of the 35-year-old’s Chelsea career was looming larger by the day this summer, before new manager Antonio Conte – confident that Terry still had it in him – offered the veteran defender a one-year contract extension.
The club were ready to let the player’s contract run down after a shocking last season seeing the Blues finish tenth in the league, performing the worst title defending campaign ever in the Premier League history.
Terry started the season in a solid fashion helping Chelsea to a five-game unbeaten run, but suffered an ankle injury which forced him to spectate the next four league matches and a league cup fixture from the sidelines.
Now, after recovering to the team’s full-training, ex-Blue Deco has urged Chelsea to hold on to Terry as long as possible if he stays fit.
If he is playing well, he needs to stay and play because he is a legend, a true captain. He is one of the best I have ever played with.
He is a fantastic guy who is very important to the team and the club. He is a leader and when you have a player like him, you need to keep him for as long as you can, for as long as he can play.
Players like this have the qualities to set an example for their team-mates. They train well every time, they work hard and they want to win all games — even in training sessions. This is why they become captains, because these are the qualities you need to have.
The former England captain has been a regular starter in Chelsea’s line-up since 2000, but the player is yet again in need of a new contract should he be retained in Conte’s plans.
