Chopper backs Terry to take mantle

Ron “Chopper” Harris believes John Terry can take over his mantle as Chelsea’s most successful captain and cult hero.

Terry could lift four trophies this season, his first chance of silverware being the Carling Cup final against Liverpool on February 27.

Harris believes an unprecedented quadruple is within Chelsea’s reach, although he feels there is nothing to choose between the quality of his former team-mates and the current side.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Chelsea had an exciting team with Peter Osgood scoring goals and Harris intimidating opposition strikers with his fierce challenges.

Although the west London side enjoyed partial success under Gianluca Vialli, Jose Mourinho’s current squad have the potential to be remembered as fondly as the team of Harris’ era.

“I reckon we would beat them 1-0, but that’s only because we’re all 60-year-olds now,” said Harris, who is intensely proud of skippering the side to the FA Cup in 1970 and the Cup Winners’ Cup the following season.

“It’s a different ball game now because these fellas are not to tackle, it’s a non-contact sport so that might be the difference between the two sides.

“You can’t seriously compare us, we had Alan Hudson, Charlie Cooke and Peter Osgood, they’ve got their own stars.”

Harris is in no doubt Terry is Jose Mourinho’s "star" player. The 24-year-old has been compared to Harris, although more for his leadership qualities rather than his rough-house tactics.

“If you ask who gets the team going, it is always the captain,” Harris said. “It was me in my day, Terry today, it will be Steven Gerrard for Liverpool.

“John is very similar to me in many way. We were both homegrown players with a will to win. Like me he lacks a yard of pace and he’s a battler. The difference is that when I tackled people they might not get up.”

Harris is back at Stamford Bridge now after former chairman Ken Bates cut him off from the club in the early 1980s.

The 60-year-old, who works in corporate hospitality on match days, has been impressed with the changes Mourinho has made since his summer appointment.

“Even when they haven’t been playing well they’ve not looked like losing the lead in the Premiership," he said.

“There are hardly any changes in the side now, only in Carling Cup ties, but I think there will be a strong line-up against Liverpool. I just don’t see them losing the game.”