JOHN TERRY has hailed late Chelsea legend Gianluca Vialli – and revealed he used to run him a BATH and deliver him COFFEE as an apprentice.
Former Chelsea captain Terry said Luca – who handed him his debut in October 1998 – had an immense impact on his career, which saw him play more than 700 games and lift numerous trophies for the Blues.
But before the silverware and honours, Terry was a Chelsea apprentice who was at the beck and call of senior first-team players such as Vialli and then-captain Dennis Wise – who once grabbed him by the throat.
Terry told the Chelsea programme: “Luca would have a bath in his Diadora boots. He would have nothing else on but his boots and his socks that he had been playing or training in!
“He loved a boiling hot bath and, as an apprentice, it fell on me to run his bath in the afternoon.
“I would bring him a coffee and deliver it to him. I was on kit duties so I did a lot of things for him. I would bring him a towel when he was finished, make sure he had his flip-flops and also bring in the coffee when he wanted it.
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“He was an absolute legend. He was someone who so important when he joined Chelsea. Remember, he came here as a reigning Champions League winner.”
Vialli died earlier this year after a long battle with cancer.
And, in an emotional tribute, Terry, who will play in a Chelsea Legends match against Bayern Munich in September in memory of Vialli, added: “He didn’t have to pay me any respect or any of the younger players.
“But every morning, he came in and gave us all some attention. ‘Morning John,’ he would say. ‘How are you? How is training?’
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“He didn’t need to do any of that. We were just youth team players, but he showed that humility.”
Terry revealed that Vialli was also crucial in his development as a defender: “Luca would say, ‘John, this is what I don’t like playing against.
“’This is the sort of run a striker will make to get past you. This is where you need to make things difficult.’
“He was always passing on that sort of advice, looking to develop my game and encouraging me to look at things from a different perspective.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
