Antonio Conte confirms Center half as Chelsea captain following Terry’s departure

England international defender Gary Cahill has been told by Chelsea head coach Antonio Conte that he will be the new captain of the West London club following the exit of John Terry this summer.

John Terry has had the captain role on a full-time basis since 2004 but left the role when his contract expired at the end of June.

Gary Cahill wore the captain armband regularly last season because John Terry spent most of the season on the bench.

The England man was always favourite to replace his former captain but had to compete with fellow defenders David Luiz and Cesar Azpilicueta.

However, the Chelsea manager has called on his team mates to show their leadership skills and feels there are many other potential captains in the coming seasons.

Meanwhile, Antonio Conte has declared he tried to persuade John Terry to remain at the West London club despite barely playing him in the first team during the 2016-17 League season.

The 36-year-old defender decided to join Championship side Aston Villa instead so he could play regularly, albeit in the second tier of English football.

The former England skipper has spoken about his managerial ambitions and that he’d love to return to Stamford Bridge one day as a coach.