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John Terry hailed Alfie Gilchrist after the Chelsea youngster made his debut in his side's 2-1 win against Crystal Palace on Wednesday (December 27).
Gilchrist came on in the 90+2nd minute of the Blues' hard-earned victory against Palace at Stamford Bridge. The English defender didn't put a foot wrong, immediately getting himself involved in the action.
The 20-year-old made one vital interception as Chelsea saw their win out. He will hope that his appearance against the Eagles is the first of many.
Gilchrist will also want to follow in the footsteps of Terry who became one of, if not, the greatest players in the club's history. The Blues icon lavished praise on his former club's debutant, writing on X:
"Delighted for Alfie. Congratulations mate."
Terry already knew all about the talent Gilchrist possesses as he works with Chelsea's youth team. He named the defender as one to watch once they make the step up from the academy to the senior squad (via Blue_Footy):
"Alfie Gilchrist, he's a really really good player. He's got an unbelievable attitude. He's been at the club since the age of eight... I'm expecting big things from Alf, expecting him to play hopefully a game or two as the season goes on."
Gilchrist boasts similarities to Terry with his pitbull-like presence in defense. He made 29 appearances across competitions for Chelsea's U21s last season, helping them keep seven clean sheets. He also captained the youth team occasionally.
Alfie Gilchrist on his ambitions for this season with Chelsea
Gilchrist was the only defender to be nominated for the Premier League 2 Player of the Season award for the 2022-23 campaign. He enjoyed a superb campaign which saw him even bag one goal and assist in 22 league games.
The Kingston-upon-Thames-born defender was proud of his nomination following a difficult season prior due to injury issues. He told the club's official website:
"I was just proud to be the only defender on the shortlist. That was nice, and very rewarding. I had a lot of injuries in 2021/22, I’d play a game and then miss two. I was growing, adapting, and getting older. So I did quite well last season on that front."
Gilchrist alluded to being made captain in the absence of Bashir Humphreys. He gave his thoughts ahead of the ongoing season:
"I was captain for the last half of the season, when Bashir [Humphreys] went on loan, which gave me confidence. I had a good season. And then leading into this one, I’ll stay for at least another six months and then see what happens. I’ll always be available when needed."
It's his confident and positive attitude that has many within the Chelsea camp excited about his future. He could soon be rivaling the likes of Axel Disasi, Levi Colwill, and Benoit Badiashile for a starting berth in Pochettino's side.
