I may be captain but no one can replace John as Chelsea’s leader

Cahill says he has learned so much from Terry it has helped him deal with the pressure of succeeding the club great as captain

GARY CAHILL has faced many challenges in his Chelsea career but replacing John Terry as captain may have been the hardest of the lot.

Over the past five years, Cahill has fought off competition from new signings at Stamford Bridge so succesfully that he has gone on to captain his country and could lead England when they face Germany tomorrow.

However, taking the armband off Chelsea’s greatest captain has not been so easy. At 36, Terry is clearly not the defender he once was but winning 14 major trophies, 13 of which came during his captaincy, means his status at Stamford Bridge is secured.

Terry has failed to regain his place in the side since injuring his ankle in September with coach Antonio Conte making Cahill Chelsea’s leader on the pitch instead.

That is pressure in itself but the fact Terry is his closest friend at the club potentially added even more of a strain.

However, Cahill’s performancee

‘It’s been a privilege for me to captain England and it would be fantastic if I got a chance to do it again’

Gary Cahill

against Stoke on Saturday showed howw well he is coping. Even after conceding g a soft penalty, it was his late strike thatat won the game to maintain Chelsea’s ’s 10-point lead at the top of the Premierer League.

It was an intervention worthy of Terryy himself but Cahill downplays any y comparison.

He told Standard Sport: “I wouldd never try to fill John Terry’s boots. Youu can never fill that position. When I took over as captain this season, either through him not being pickedd or not being available, it was a privilege to do that.

“Firstly, I have learned from how he manages himself, how he plays and how he does things. But secondly, I never thought for one minute, or will ever think, that I’m replacing him. He is right at the top and whoever comes in after him is never going to o achieve what he’s done at the club.

“It’s one of those situations wheree you have to separate yourself from it.t. The way that I prepare, the way that I