Terry Reveals Candidates for New Chelsea Captain

Chelsea captain John Terry says both Petr Cech and David Luiz are among the candidates to replace him as captain at Stamford Bridge.

Terry is out of contract in west London in 2014, and should The Blues show a similarly ruthless streak that is set to see Frank Lampard depart this summer, then next season is likely to be the 32 year-old's swansong at Chelsea.

And Terry has already begun preparing for his departure by nominating his preferred candidates to become the new Chelsea captain, with both Cech and Luiz, who between them have in excess of 500 appearances for the club, among the frontrunners.

"Naturally, big Pete [Cech] will get the armband and, hopefully, I have a few years left, but you look at David [Luiz] and he has done incredibly well this year," Terry said.

"He has stepped into midfield and been pulled back in certain games. It must be difficult for a player to be pulled left, right and centre but he is capable of doing it.

"He has the personality of a leader. He pushes the lads. He is like that in training, demanding a lot from himself and the other players around him. It's good for the squad.

"When they see myself, Frank [Lampard] and Petr on a daily basis and players over the years like Didier [Drogba] training like that, they can only learn and repeat what we've done.

"With the experience we've got around the squad, the older players can obviously pass that down. We know we've all got a big part to play. It's important that as a group and a squad we stick together for what is a tough run-in."

Despite having spent almost his entire professional career at Chelsea, bar a loan spell at Nottingham Forest, which has spanned over 16 years and included close to 600 appearances, the 2013/14 campaign looks likely to be Terry's last with the club.

Terry has led Chelsea through the most successful period in the club's history, having won three Premier League titles, five FA Cups, two League Cups and the Champions League last May while simultaneously earning legendary status among the Blues support.

However, off the field distractions which include allegations surrounding an affair with the girlfriend of former club and international team-mate Wayne Bridge and the racially aggravated assault charge against Anton Ferdinand, for which Terry was cleared at Westminster Magistrates' Court last summer, have worked to undermine his legacy.

The Football Association banned Terry for four games in September for racially abusing Ferdinand, with the original charges leading to him being stripped of the England captaincy for a second time in February 2012.