John Terry will be thrilled after Chelsea owner, Todd Boehly, successfully secured a new contract for young defender Alfie Gilchrist.
This season, Gilchrist has shown great potential for the Blues and appears to be the newest star from the Cobham academy.
On Tuesday, it was announced that Gilchrist had extended his previous contract, keeping him at Stamford Bridge until summer 2026.
If Gilchrist, who has himself been likened to Chelsea icon Terry, continues to shine in the first team, Chelsea can choose to add an extra year to his contract.
The 20-year-old has been a Chelsea fan since he was a boy and has already made six Premier League appearances this season, all as a substitute.
His only starts were in the FA Cup, but he wasn’t included in the squad for the Blues’ quarter-final win over Leicester City last month.
Gilchrist’s successful season won’t surprise Chelsea legend Terry, who has long admired the young defender.
After Gilchrist made his first-team debut against Crystal Palace in December, Terry tipped him as the next big thing from the club’s academy, reports the Express.
“Alfie Gilchrist, he’s a really, really good player,” Terry told a fan who asked about young Chelsea stars to watch. “He’s got an unbelievable attitude. He’s been at the club since the age of eight.
“He does great every day and does everything right. I think he has a big chance. We talked about young players going out on loan, and I think Alfie’s next step is to go on loan next season. Then we can see how he does.
“I’m expecting big things from Alf, expecting him to play hopefully a game or two as the season goes on.”
Terry is really hoping that Gilchrist will do well at Chelsea and keep impressing the boss Mauricio Pochettino in the next seasons too. After Gilchrist signed a new deal, he said he wants to work hard and start playing in Premier League games.
“Signing this contract at Chelsea is a massive achievement for me and my family,” Gilchrist said. “It was easy to decide and it feels better every time I sign a new contract here. But now I want to push harder and get even better.”
