John Terry is backing rising star Jake Clarke-Salter to follow in his footsteps by graduating from the Chelsea Academy to make his mark in the first team.
The Chelsea captain is a huge admirer of the 18-year-old defender, who made his professional debut at Aston Villa earlier this month.
Much has been made about Terry being the last graduate of the youth set-up at Stamford Bridge to become a mainstay of the senior side.
But Terry, 35, who is out of contract at the end of the season, believes Clarke-Salter can emulate him. He said: “Jake has a great attitude. I remember watching him a couple of years ago being in control of the game and a really vocal player. He reminds me a bit of myself.
“He is doing great and I hope he goes on to take my position and get in the first team. It was great for him to make his debut. I was disappointed I wasn’t there to support him because I missed the game [through injury]. But watching it from home, I was delighted.”
Chelsea’s hierarchy also have high hopes for the England Under-19 player after handing him a four-year contract in November. Clarke-Salter will become just the fifth player in the history of the FA Youth Cup to win the competition three times should Chelsea defeat Manchester City over two legs later this month.
John Terry's career in pictures
