Carragher: John Terry is the best Premier League centre-back of all time
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher believes Chelsea captain John Terry is the best centre-back that Premier League has ever seen.
After another Man of Match performance against Arsenal this weekend, Terry has got the pundits - including Sky's Jamier Carragher - to talk about his importance in the Chelsea back-four.
When asked whether Terry deserved to be a nominee for the PFA Player of the Year award, Carragher said, “Yes, Terry should be in the top six players.
“There’s no doubt that, just behind (Eden) Hazard in this Chelsea team, Terry has been the most influential.
“We’ve seen (Cesc) Fabregas, (Nemanja) Matic and Diego Costa feature in the early part of the season, but if you look at Terry’s display today he was outstanding.
“We talk about Chelsea being a defensive team, but sometimes you’ve got to say they defend brilliantly, and Terry is the best.
“There have been a lot of great centre-backs in Premier League history, but I think he has been the best that we’ve seen.”
Carragher went on to suggest Terry’s displays during his time at Chelsea will have a lasting effect on the way centre-backs of the future are viewed.
“For the next 20 or 30 years, that position at the near post, when we see other defenders doing it we’ll call it the ‘John Terry’ position,” he added.
“You can’t always find yourself in the right position to put your head on things and clear things, you’ve got to have an understanding of the game.
“We’re not just talking about a big aggressive centre-back, Terry is always in the right position.
“His understanding of where to be, his reading of the game and reading crosses cannot be matched. I don’t think we’ve ever seen anyone better.”
John Terry has already signed a new contract with Chelsea that will keep him at the club for at least another another season.
Meanwhile, his manager Jose Mourinho went on to pick Terry’s performance against Arsenal as the best he has ever seen him play during his time at Chelsea.
"I told John, in the six years with me, that is the best I have seen from him. He was absolutely amazing,” said the Portuguese manager.