John Terry is often seen as one of the finest central defenders the Premier League has ever produced, yet there was one player he genuinely feared facing during Chelsea training.
Over the course of his career, Terry came up against elite forwards, including Alan Shearer, Wayne Rooney, Thierry Henry, and Sergio Aguero. ..Continue Reading
Still, the level of talent within Chelsea’s own ranks ensured he stayed sharp, with Eden Hazard, Diego Costa, and Frank Lampard challenging him every day.
That internal competition played a big role in Terry’s personal success—and one teammate, in particular, tested him more than most.
Thanks to Chelsea’s consistent top-tier recruitment, Terry had the chance to train with some of the best in the game.
But during a chat on Chelsea’s TikTok, he didn’t hesitate when asked who the toughest daily opponent at Cobham was.
“Didier Drogba,” Terry said.
Drogba is still considered one of the most iconic strikers in Chelsea’s history, known for his strength and dominance up front.
He was excellent at holding the ball, posed a constant aerial threat, and had impressive technical ability.
Terry wasn’t alone in finding Drogba difficult to handle—Gilberto Silva once said Drogba was harder to face than Wayne Rooney.
Silva also pointed to Henry as his most challenging Premier League rival and called Lionel Messi the finest player he encountered in the Champions League.
While Terry may have found Drogba the most difficult to deal with in training, he doesn’t see him as the greatest to wear a Chelsea shirt.
The Ivorian forward delivered plenty of clutch goals—including in the 2012 Champions League final—but Terry gives the nod to Lampard.
“I think Frank Lampard is the best Chelsea player of all time,” Terry said.
Lampard stood beside Terry during Chelsea’s most successful era as vice captain and finished his career as the club’s top scorer—an extraordinary achievement for a midfielder.
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