Former Chelsea centre-back Marcel Desailly has credited the club's new manager Antonio Conte with keeping captain John Terry at the club next season, suggesting that the departing Italy coach wanted the 35-year-old to stay more than some more established members of the club's hierarchy.
Terry had said earlier in the campaign that he would be leaving Stamford Bridge at the end of the season after not being offered a new contract, but signed a one-year deal last month to extend his stay at the club into a 22nd year.
Speaking to Omnisport, Desailly said: “Chelsea said ‘we don’t give out contracts [for] more than one year’ or they made a statement that they didn’t want John to stay, and probably Conte said 'wait, wait, wait, wait… he’s historic – let me talk with him, discuss with him, to explain to him what I want to do for next season.'”
Speaking in another interview this week, he praised Terry, saying: "He is still the leader and maybe Conte met him and realised that John is still ready to sacrifice everything for the club. John doesn't have to be first choice but keeping him is good for the continuity of the team. So I am very happy for him but it would also have been good for him to experience something else."
Next season will see the Blues face one of their least crowded fixture lists in recent years, with no European football to contend with after finishing ninth in a disastrous Premier League campaign.
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