Chelsea might be on the cusp of claiming another Premier League title, but when the season ends and the club’s finest jet off on their summer holidays, one player won’t be returning with a tan. After joining the club aged 14, John Terry has become a veritable rock for Chelsea, but with his last contract extension coming to an end in May, both he and the board have decided to part ways.
Although the defender has only played just over 360 minutes under manager Antonio Conte this season, his 22-year tenure at Chelsea has made him something of a talisman at Stamford Bridge. During his time with the London club, he served as captain in 578 games out of 713 and even managed to score on 66 occasions.
As well as his personal achievements for Chelsea, Terry has helped the club to every major honour possible, from the Premier League title to the Champions League. In fact, with 14 major honours to his name, Terry is the most decorated player in Chelsea history. Beyond his time on the pitch, Terry has also become a prominent figure in the dressing room. Having made his way through the ranks and grown into life at Chelsea, Terry has advised youngsters and new players alike during his time at the club.
The Betting Doesn’t Suggest Terry Will be Missed
In short, Chelsea won’t just be losing a central defender and a captain when Terry finally departs, they’ll be losing a core member of the club. Now, some would argue that the loss of Terry won’t really affect Chelsea’s chances of winning the title this season or the next. According to Garth Crooks, Terry won’t be missed because David Luiz has stepped up to the role of “leader” in his absence.
Whether you agree with Crooks or not, the news certainly hasn’t affected Chelsea’s odds of winning the Premier League this season. With a fairly comfortable lead over Tottenham still intact, the Premier League betting from Sun Bets has Chelsea as the clear favourites. According to Sun Bets’ odds experts, Conte’s men are 1/7 to win the title, while Tottenham are a distant second at 5/1.
With Terry being side-lined for the large part of the season, the odds seem to suggest that his absence in future seasons might not be that much of an issue. However, this isn’t accounting for his absence in the changing room. The man himself has already said he’s looking to join another club, which means he won’t be there to offer a guiding hand during next season’s campaign.
A Tough Act to Follow Despite the Odds
If this does become an issue, Chelsea may need to sign a new rock, someone who can become the next Terry over the coming years. Naturally, dozens of defenders have been touted as the replacement for Terry, but only one name seems to be sticking: Virgil Van Dijk. The Dutchman might have picked up an injury that’s left him side-lined for the latter half of the 2016/2017, but he still managed to show he’s capable of big things.
Indeed, according to Squawka’s stats, Van Dijk has just one defensive error in 21 games this season. Moreover, he’s won 67% of his defensive battles and has a pass accuracy of 84%. On top of this, he’s got the height (6ft 4 inches compared to Terry at 6ft 1 inch) and the build to boss any backline. If we go back to the 2013/2014 season, Squawka has Terry’s defensive errors in 34 appearances as two. Like Van Dijk, Terry’s average duels won is in to 60% bracket (it’s exactly 60%) and his pass accuracy is 90%.
While this is clearly a small sample size, the stats do suggest that Terry and Van Dijk are similar players. Yes, Terry was able to put in these performances season in and season out and Van Dijk has only been around as a pro since 2011. It’s also important to point out that Van Dijk hasn’t proved himself at the very elite level. Sure, he’s played for the Netherlands and both Celtic and Southampton are no slouches in domestic footballing terms.
Terry’s Boots Come with a Ton of Pressure
However, none of these teams are Chelsea and the pressure would be a whole new ball game if Van Dijk was to join the set-up. For Terry, that pressure wasn’t as apparent as he made his way through the youth system and already knew the inner-workings of the club before he made his pro debut. For Van Dijk, joining a new club like Chelsea will be tough in its own right, but things will be made even tougher if he’s hailed as “the next John Terry”.
Whatever the future holds for Chelsea and Van Dijk, one thing is certain, Terry will be missed. Maybe his role at the club has shifted over the last few years, but few could deny that he’s been a major part of its continued success. Van Dijk is a player that’s certainly capable of emulating Terry on the pitch, but whether he can do the same off of it is another matter. Indeed, in this sense, there will be a very large part of boots that need filling when Terry waves his final goodbye to Stamford Bridge.
Guest Post contributed by Dan Smyth
Dan Smyth is a freelance sports and betting writer covering a variety of current events. With almost a decade in the industry, Dan now produces match previews, betting reports and strategy insights for a range of industry-leading publications.