John Terry learned his trade from Marcel Desailly... and the Chelsea captain is now taking Kurt Zouma under his wing (the student has become the master!)
- John Terry was tutored by Marcel Desailly as he became Chelsea's captain
- Kurt Zouma has been favoured ahead of regular centre-back Gary Cahill
- Zouma looked comfortable against Manchester City during their 1-1 draw
- Zouma kept Sergio Aguero quiet and showed why he is beating Cahill to the team as it was streamed live to 650 million homes in 175 countries
- Chelsea captain Terry should take Zouma under his wing and teach the man 14 years younger than him how to become a leader in defence
When John Terry circa 1998 was trying to find his way at Stamford Bridge, he turned to a man by the name of Marcel Desailly. And that never changed, right up until the France defender left in 2004.
'[Desailly] would stand there, in the team line-up, and say to me: "John, listen to this Champions League music, this is what you want to hear season after season," and he was excited,' Terry remembered last April. 'Even now I've got goose bumps on my legs – I will never forget those nights standing alongside Desailly in this competition.'
But Terry has gone from student to master with a new pupil in the class of 2015: Kurt Zouma.
On Saturday at Stamford Bridge, Terry's defensive partner was a man 14 years younger than him.
Zouma was favoured ahead of Gary Cahill - the England international demoted to the substitutes' bench - as Chelsea went toe to toe with Manchester City.
It was a hell of a call by Jose Mourinho to back a man that had just four Barclays Premier League appearances previously. Yet the £12million buy from Saint-Etienne hardly looked out of his depth.
'The new Paolo Maldini,' was among the tags bestowed upon the 20-year-old. And, as if being likened to a legendary AC Milan defender is not enough, he has been backed to emulate Terry.
Terry began his professional association with Chelsea in 1998 - the same year Desailly arrived. That's when the schooling began ahead of a partnership that would come to fruition in 2000.
Desailly was club captain - a torch that would later be passed to Terry in 2004 once his fellow centre-back departed. That promotion, however, would only be allowed with his tutor's blessing.
Once Terry hit 500 appearances last October, he set about thanking Desailly 'who first and foremost gave me the opportunity to be captain of the club, and help me through and learn from the very best'.
He added: 'I remember when I first got [the armband] Marcel was captain, and he called a meeting with the management, (Gianfranco) Zola, Denis Wise, Graeme Le Saux.'
More than a decade on, it's Terry's turn to look for a successor.
Prime candidate, Zouma. A cool, composed, brave customer that didn't shy away from marking Liverpool's Raheem Sterling, and had David Silva and Sergio Aguero to contest with on Saturday.
He knew when to go to ground, when to stay on his feet, and how to not let adrenaline or the situation get the better of a seemingly inexperienced centre-back. Quick, sharp, athletic; worthy of Chelsea.
James Milner learned about Zouma's frightening pace, Aguero discovered his perfect timing in tackles, and all this was streamed live to television screens in 650 million homes in 175 countries.
Desailly once recalled how Terry persistently pestered him, and that is what the man with the middle name 'Happy' must do. If only to impress his captain and teacher, like it did Desailly.
'I regard Terry as an apprentice, but a precocious and cheeky one who barraged me with questions about tactics and positioning, and who once came to me with a detailed suggestion about how the physios, doctors and fitness coaches should fit into the team,' Desailly once said.
'He was sharing his opinion, and to hear this from an 18- or 20-year-old guy was something a bit special for me.'
Mourinho is already prepared to trust Zouma. We know that, and so does he. He played like a man determined to keep Cahill out in the cold against Liverpool and City, and rightly so.
He's making a name for himself, and has already interrupted Chelsea's formerly firm back two. Next up, is the tutelage of Terry. And that, it seems, has already begun.
| CHELSEA PREMIER LEAGUE 2014/15 | Terry | Cahill | Zouma |
|---|---|---|---|
| Games played | 23 | 22 | 5 |
| Games won | 16 | 15 | 3 |
| Win% | 69.60% | 68.20% | 60% |
| Clean sheets | 11 | 9 | 1 |
| Clean sheet% | 47.80% | 40.90% | 20% |
| Goals conceded | 20 | 19 | 1 |
| Goals conceded per game | 0.87 | 0.86 | 0.2 |
| Tackles per game | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.2 |
| Aerial duels won per game | 2.5 | 2.6 | 0.8 |
| Interceptions per game | 0.83 | 0.95 | 0.8 |
| Passes per game | 43.13 | 41.27 | 20.4 |
| Passing accuracy | 90.93 | 87.56 | 80.39 |
| Goals | 3 | 1 | 0 |
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