Biography

Chelsea to the core and a true hero to the fans, John has now graduated from being a great prospect to a fully-fledged star as he commands the defence from his position as captain having also made his mark at international level.

Any perceived deficiency in pace is more than compensated by a superb reading of the game while his sound technique and distribution make him more than just a defenders' defender.

His most disappointing Chelsea moment to date was illness on the morning of the losing 2002 FA Cup Final and subsequent omission from the starting XI. His proudest is taking on the captaincy he had understudied from Marcel Desailly and leading the club to the elusive title in the very first year with the armband.

With the Carling Cup also lifted previously, John is one of only four Chelsea captains to lead the club to major honours and he more than played his part on the pitch in 2004/5 with a succession of world class displays and eight crucial goals.  

He was voted Player of the Year by his fellow professionals, the first Chelsea winner of the accolade and John's incredible consistency has seen José Mourinho dub him 'the best centre-back in the world'. 

Player Info

Date of Birth: 07 Dec 1980

Height: 6 1