Chilwell relishes the challenge of taking on John Terry’s “elder statesman” role
LEGENDS are in short supply at Chelsea at the moment, but they have a solid vice-captain and leader in Ben Chilwell.
So much so that at 27 he is one of their oldest players – and with that comes the task of leaving his young teammates in no doubt about the job requirements at Stamford Bridge.
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‘Captain, Leader, Legend’ is a phrase synonymous with Chelsea’s iconic former skipper John Terry. And a banner with that simple message hangs permanently on the ground.
Terry was the epitome of what was once a football factory for trophies, now finding silverware harder to come by.
It says so much about the modern Chelsea that Chilwell signed less than four years ago but is now regarded as an elder statesman and one of the few players with a trophy to his name.
And even with almost three years until his 30th birthday and not a gray sideburn in his well-trimmed beard, the left-back admits he is starting to feel like a father figure.
Chilwell said: ‘There are times when I feel really old. Even in the gym before we start the sessions, all the younger guys are messing around.
“I used to be there messing around and sometimes I sit there and feel a little too tired to get involved. I would like to, but I don’t have the energy for it.
“Those are the moments when I might feel: yes, maybe I’m a bit more mature than I was a few years ago. I would still love to be one of the kids, but I just don’t have the energy to participate 24/7.
“When I joined Chelsea I came in as one of the younger players and in recent years that has changed to one of the older players.
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“I still like to see myself as a young player, still trying to grow and learn. But I’ve taken on the role as one of the more experienced players and as one of the few players here to have won trophies, it’s important for me to try and emphasize how important it is at the club to all new players why silverware is so important. so important.
“I think it’s such a young team now that I’m one of the more experienced players. It’s definitely something that I’ve welcomed and try to incorporate as much as possible.
“When you come to the club there is a lot of noise from outside that Chelsea are winning and have won a lot of trophies in the past.
‘That’s not something we should push into the boys. It is more the levels and the standards that are required. Once we do that, with the talent we have, the trophies will follow.”
Only Raheem Sterling, 29, and 39-year-old Thiago Silva are older than Chilwell in Chelsea’s squad.
Slowly and unsteadily, Chelsea’s young team is finding its feet. Two steps forward and one step back.
But there is tangible progress under boss Mauricio Pochettino. If that wasn’t the case, they wouldn’t be playing in their first cup final for almost two years tomorrow.
They have not had more than three wins on the trot this season.
Just over three weeks ago they were beaten 4-1 by tomorrow’s opponent, Liverpool.
But earlier this month they beat Aston Villa – one of the best teams of the season – 3-1.
Pochettino is in the process of putting things in order, but his predecessor Frank Lampard last season, Chelsea’s record goalscorer who won trophies there for 13 years, noted that the ferocious competitive streak in the dressing room since his time had evaporated.
I would still love to be one of the kids, but I just don’t have the energy to participate 24/7.
Ben Chillwell
Chilwell said: “I understand why he said that but it wasn’t intentional or something we wanted to happen but a lot of circumstances contributed to that last season.
“When I joined, we had a lot of leaders here. We knew the standards. As a new player I knew what was expected in training or in a match.
As a senior player I have to take on the role of setting the standards every day. There are no easy matches in the Premier League now. 38 tough matches and the cups.
“You can’t have training weeks where you get through the week and show up on the weekend. You can’t get away with that in this country.
“It is important that myself and the other leaders, young or old, take the lead. We’ve seen a lot of young guys step up this year. Maintaining the expected level at Chelsea. This is important.”
In his own way, Pochettino is reviving the silenced sense of competition within the camp – with a recent example from last weekend to underline it.
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Chilwell said: “Um, the game against Man City when I didn’t play the ball over the top against Raheem Sterling. The ground was full and I could still hear him from the sidelines.
“He is a very demanding manager, and that is of course what you want. There will be training and competitions where you personally think you have done well and then he pulls you in and tells you what you could have done better.
“Then there will be other games where maybe you thought you weren’t doing so well, and he was. It’s actually a balance.
“No one is ahead when they have a few good games, and when things don’t go our way he keeps the spirits high.
“There is a responsibility. It’s not just about dressing it up and making it look better than it is. He keeps spirits high and lets you know if you’re not meeting the standard.
“He knows the players he can get out and he knows the ones he needs to put an arm around. That is the mark of a good manager.
“Not everyone has the same personality – some need to dig out and some need an arm around the shoulder
“If I’m not good in training or not at the level I expect the manager to talk to me, whether it’s just him and me or in front of someone. I am fine
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“I don’t get excited about it, I only expect it when I’m not at my level in training or in competitions.
“I wouldn’t want to get away with it. I’m not happy about it, but I accept it.”