Chelsea captaincy given to Gary Cahill but with no guarantee of playing time
Antonio Conte has confirmed that Gary Cahill will inherit the Chelsea club captaincy from John Terry, but he made no guarantees over playing time.
With John Terry leaving Chelsea for Aston Villa over the summer, the club captaincy was up for grabs. Gary Cahill was the favourite to be given it, but players like David Luiz were also in contention. Antonio Conte has confirmed that the Englishman is the man for the job, but he was sure to hedge his bets with regard to playing time.
"I think that it’s right to continue with Cahill, if he plays, it’s right he’s the captain. Why? Because he stayed in Chelsea for many years and played a lot of games and showed good characteristics to be this. – via Evening Standard"
Entering his seventh season in Chelsea blue, Cahill is the longest-serving senior pro on the club’s books at the moment. He has been a regular in the Blues defence since his arrival from Bolton and was rightly considered as Terry’s natural successor.
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However, with the arrival of Antonio Rudiger and the return of Andreas Christensen, there is speculation over the amount of game time he will receive. Conte was careful to remind Cahill that his place is by no means guaranteed despite being handed the armband.
Terry, for example, barely featured for the Blues last season. Cahill may find himself in a similar situation. That is when the Englishman’s real suitability for the role will be tested. Terry was constantly praised for his professionalism last season and, in particular, the leadership he displayed off the field.
Despite rarely being a part of the action, Terry proved himself to be worthy of the armband when contributing whenever possible in any capacity. A theme of last season’s success was the praise from all corners of the Chelsea dressing room for the veteran.
Conte evidently views the captaincy as more than a token title. Declaring Cahill to be his preferred choice while also casting doubt over his place in the starting eleven shows that the Italian views it as a full-time duty.
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But what do you think? Should a club captain be someone who plays every week? Or are other factors more important? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!