RESULT! A five-star showing for Farke
The Dutchman, 22, signed for Bournemouth last month after a loan spell on the south coast earlier in the season.
Ake was, and still is, hugely influenced by Blues legend Terry, who joined Championship side Aston Villa last week, and believes he will eventually become a great coach – probably back at Stamford Bridge.
He is surprised Terry was allowed to leave, though, and said: “He’s a really big character in the changing rooms. He is Chelsea basically, so you want to see him at the club for as long as possible.
“I can’t comment on the decisions of the board but they are big shoes to fill. He’s a big player and a big character.”
Even now, Ake speaks regularly with the former Blues defender who he says helped him enormously during his time at the club.
He said: “There are really a lot of players who helped me, who talked to me. The main ones were maybe JT and Paulo Ferreira.
“JT will make a really good coach. He was already writing down training sessions and everything just to be a manager.
“He was always looking and just the way he interacts with people, the way he likes to help young players is great. He came over straight away and was talking to us, saying, ‘Don’t be nervous, just play your own game’.
“He’s always in contact. Even when I was out on loan he was sending me text messages saying, ‘Well played’ or, ‘Keep going’.
“After games when I’d scored or had done well he’d text me saying, ‘Well done’ or ‘Congratulations’. “It was like he was still connected with you. “He was a good influence in the dressing room even when he wasn’t playing. He could be thinking, ‘Ah, I should be starting, I’m going to moan’. But he wasn’t.
“He was always there. Even when he was injured he’d travel and be in the changing room making speeches, or keeping everyone lively before games – making sure people realised how important the games were.”
Ake also revealed how former Blues boss Rafa Benitez helped him mature as a player at the club he joined from Feyenoord as a teenager and how Jose Mourinho always offered advice – unlike Antonio Conte, with whom he rarely spoke. He said: “Jose just spoke to me like normal. If he sees things in games he’ll tell you, if he sees things in training he’ll tell you. He will try to improve you. That’s what they both did.
“When I first broke through Rafa really did a lot for me, as did Boudewijn Zenden. He was assistant boss then and he was Dutch, so I had a really good contact with him and they really helped me.
“Those moments were really important to my career and in my development as a professional player.
“Rafa talked to me in training. He always prepared me for games coming up and made me feel like part of the team. He didn’t make me feel scared or nervous before games, he’d just tell me to play my normal game.
“Managers are really important, they can help you in your career. I saw that last season when I was at Bournemouth with Eddie Howe. I was just growing as a player and part of that was because of this manager.”
Ake admits he was disappointed not to feature in the FA Cup Final for Chelsea after playing in previous rounds – and knew he had to leave again.
But he added: “It wasn’t just one game that decided it – it was the whole five months. I felt at the end of the season that I just needed regular seasons now. I needed the stability.
“I’m in a good environment here. This is the perfect club for me right now. It is really growing. The players are growing and I feel this is the right project for me.” DANIEL FARKE got his first victory as Norwich boss yesterday with a thumping win against Lowestoft Town.
The German introduced loan signing Harrison Reed to the starting line-up following the Canaries’ 5-0 victory over Cobh Ramblers.
Farke, 40, would have been far from happy with the opening exchanges as City went behind in the first half through a Travis Cole strike.
The semi-professional side did not lead for long, though, as Cameron Jerome struck home a penalty just four minutes later.
Jerome, who captained the side in the absence of Russell Martin, calmly dispatched his kick to level the scores.
And 10 minutes later, Steven Naismith put the Championship outfit ahead, before summer signing Marley Watkins opened his account for his new club to make it 3-1.
Norwich made six changes at the break, including new midfielder Mario Vrancic, who joined from Darmstadt earlier this summer.
And after Nelson Oliveira made it 4-1 following some nice work from Carlton Morris, Vrancic completed the rout with a curling effort.
Farke’s men will step up their preparations for the season on Tuesday evening when they take on Stevenage. A FIRST-HALF double from Stuart Dallas gave Leeds a comfortable victory over Yorkshire rivals Guiseley.
The ex-Brentford winger, 26, struck twice to continue Thomas Christiansen’s 100 per cent record as Elland Road boss in pre-season.
Earlier in the week United dispatched another local side, beating Vanarama National North side Harrogate Town 4-2.
And it only took 22 seconds for them to go ahead in this one, as Dallas struck the ball into the top corner, much to the delight of his manager.
The boss would soon be on his feet again as Dallas doubled his tally, curling a shot past Jonny Maxted after a powerful run from Luke Ayling.
Guiseley, who were pressing well despite trailing, pulled a goal back as a triallist fired past Rob Green.
Marcus Antonsson restored Leeds’ two-goal lead in the 30th minute, tapping home from close range.
The travelling fans got a chance to see new keeper Felix Wiedwald in the second half but will have to wait to see Vurnon Anita, who joined from Newcastle last week.
But it was Scotland Under-19s striker Lee Erwin who took the plaudits after the break, scoring twice to finish off the game for Christiansen’s side.