John Terry featured alongside some of the world’s best strikers during his playing time at Chelsea, however he has explained the academy are instead getting their young forwards to base their game on Thierry Henry.
The Blues legend has openly admitted on a number of occasions that Henry was his toughest opponent (Mail Online), and the battle between the pair had ramifications on the Premier League title race in multiple seasons.
Despite Terry’s dreams of managing Chelsea one day, he seems very happy with his current role working as part of the club’s academy.
This is so harsh on Delap! 😭
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John Terry says Chelsea’s academy strikers are copying Thierry Henry by drifting out wide
There are a number of young forwards coming through Cobham who are already knocking on Liam Rosenior’s door when it comes to first team opportunities, and Terry has now shared that they are being trained to play in what he calls ‘The Thierry Role’.
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He told Zac Djellab’s 20v1: “And I’m in the academy at Chelsea. We have kind of number nines that have drifted away into that kind of, I call it the Thierry role kind of out wide because they want the ball to feet. They want to kind of face the defender.
“I don’t see too many players other than Haaland in today’s football that get on the shoulder of a centre half and want to stretch and make those runs in behind as well.”
The Frenchman scored 175 goals and set up 77 in his 258 Premier League games, making a huge contribution to two title wins.
This comes at a time where the Blues have been regularly looking for a number nine who can regularly deliver in front of goal. Liam Delap and Nicolas Jackson are amongst those yet to prove they can do that.
Chelsea academy strikers pushing for first team role
Shumaira Mheuka is up there with the most promising young talents at Chelsea, and his goal record speaks for itself this season.
He has 13 goals in just 12 games in Premier League 2, contributing to a 31 goal season so far for both club and country.
For the Under 18s, Chizzy Ezenwata and Jashayde Greenwood have been providing the goals this season. The latter recently joined the club from Wolves.
Reaching Henry’s overall level is going to be nearly impossible, but following his style of play looks as if it would fit the fluid approach taken by the first team in attack.
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