Coach Antonio Conte has confirmed that defender Gary Cahill would be the new skipper of the Blues following the exit of John Terry to join Aston Villa.


The England vice-captain was also the assistant at the club level. He assisted Wayne Rooney in the Three Lions setup and Terry in the Chelsea senior team.

Ahead of the forthcoming season, Conte named Cahill the captain. The centre back led the team for most of last season as Terry was sidelined. Cesar Azpilicueta and David Luiz were also prime candidates for the role but Cahill was named.

“I think that it’s right to continue with Cahill, if he plays, it’s right he’s the captain. Why? Because he stayed in Chelsea for many years and played a lot of games and showed good characteristic to be this,” Conte said.

The Italian added that all the players must improve their leadership skills and take more responsibilities after the club “lost big players.” He said for now Cahill earned the armband and was right to lead the team.

Chelsea have a huge task ahead of them in retaining the Premier League title and competing in the Champions League. The Manchester clubs have added more players that make them more competitive. Liverpool and Spurs would give them a tough challenge as well so the Blues would have to really work hard if they want to emerge Premier League champs again.