Chelsea manager, Antonio Conte, has admitted that the loss of John Terry has been difficult for the club to deal with.

Terry, who spent his entire career with Chelsea, left to join Aston Villa at the end of last season.

The former Chelsea captain was a constant at the club for 19 seasons. He was also very successful, winning five Premier League titles, five FA Cups, three League Cups and featured in Champions League and Europa League-winning campaigns.

Despite his role in the history of the Blues, Terry was restricted to just nine league appearances in his final season, but Conte has now revealed the impact that the defender had off the field.

The admission was made after Terry paid a visit to Chelsea’s training ground in Cobham this week to try to lift the morale of a team that has club having lost four of their last five league games, dropping them to fifth on the table.

‘For us, it was a big loss,” Conte said of the former England captain.

‘I tried to keep him for another season but he wanted to play and I understood this. I wished him the best and for his family.

‘JT’s role last season was incredible. He didn’t play a lot of games but despite this his commitment was incredible, he helped me a lot. We are talking about a player with great experience.

‘For John, Chelsea is home and he can come when he wants, the doors are open for him and for [all] the players that write the history of this club.

‘For me, it’s always a pleasure to see him and have a chat. It’s right also for the players to see him again, [he’s] their old captain.’