EXCLUSIVE

Chelsea captain John Terry has plenty to shout about… the new signings have got off to a flyer and he says the club are better equipped to challenge for honours

What do you make to the start of Chelsea’s season?

JT: I am enjoying how thick and fast the games are now coming at Chelsea. We are going into a stretch of the season where we will be playing two or three matches a week on a regular basis. This is what it’s all about - you want to be playing in all the big competitions.

Will this period be a test for the squad and show whether you can handle a busy fixture list?

JT: I think we have a bigger squad than last season and it is going to benefit us. The Champions League kicks in next week and then there is the Capital One Cup after that. It’s going to help us that we have a bigger squad. Manchester City benefited from having that last season and we will this time, too.

How excited have you been by Chelsea’s performances so far?

JT: We have started brightly. You always hope that your new signings come in and hit the ground running and our players have done that. Diego Costa has scored four goals and got off to a flyer. We are hoping he is available for the weekend against Swansea but he has made a good impact so far.

You have high standards when it comes to Chelsea’s defence. How disappointing was it to concede three goals at Everton even though you won the game 6-3?

JT: I know some people have been talking about that. We went throughout last season not conceding many goals and probably not scoring enough. We go up to Everton and score six and concede three but everyone is talking about the defence rather than how good our attacking play was. Before that we had only let in one against Burnley.

Have you had a chance to work on the team’s defending in training?

JT: We are only three matches into the season and not had much chance through this period. I was the only defender in at training for much of the last two weeks. Everyone else was away on international duty. For me it’s nothing to get concerned about yet. If it (conceding too many goals) happens three or four weeks on the spin, then it is an issue and I’m sure the manager will take a look at it. There are no qualms or problems for me at all.

Everyone associates Chelsea with keeping clean sheets, though, so do you think people react more when you concede so many?

JT: People can look at it that way but I think more should be made of the fact we scored six goals at Everton and how well we played going forward.

Chelsea signed Loic Remy before the international break - what impact can he make?

JT: I had my first training session with him on Wednesday and he looked sharp. He scores goals and makes it awkward for defenders because he plays on your shoulder.

Is there even more hunger in the squad to succeed after just missing out on winning trophies last season?

JT: For me the hunger is there from not winning the League. We need to get back to winning the title. It has been four years since we last did it but I believe we have the squad to do it. We are so driven.

You have lifted the trophy three times. Does it hurt you to see other teams celebrate winning it?

JT: Naturally. No player should stand there when seeing another team succeed and not feel hurt. We came so close in the League last season, Liverpool probably feel the same. When you play all those games and just lose out at the end, it’s disappointing, it’s heartbreaking. This is what you work all season for, it’s what you live for. I want to win trophies, last year we didn’t. We’re not more determined because we always are but with the signings the owner made, we will go for it again.

Top 10 Chelsea goalscorers 10 show all Top 10 Chelsea goalscorers 1/10 Frank Lampard - 209 goals 2/10 Bobby Tambling - 202 goals in 370 appearances 3/10 Kerry Dixon - 193 goals in 421 appearances 4/10 Didier Drogba - 157 goals in 341 appearances 5/10 Roy Bentley - 150 goals in 367 appearances 6/10 Peter Osgood - 150 goals in 380 appearances 7/10 Jimmy Greaves - 132 goals in 169 appearances 8/10 George Mills - 125 goals in 229 appearances 9/10 George Hilsdon - 108 goals in 164 appearances 10/10 Barry Bridges - 93 goals in 205 appearances 1/10 Frank Lampard - 209 goals 2/10 Bobby Tambling - 202 goals in 370 appearances 3/10 Kerry Dixon - 193 goals in 421 appearances 4/10 Didier Drogba - 157 goals in 341 appearances 5/10 Roy Bentley - 150 goals in 367 appearances 6/10 Peter Osgood - 150 goals in 380 appearances 7/10 Jimmy Greaves - 132 goals in 169 appearances 8/10 George Mills - 125 goals in 229 appearances 9/10 George Hilsdon - 108 goals in 164 appearances 10/10 Barry Bridges - 93 goals in 205 appearances

Finally, you had a chance to try your luck as a city trader in Canary Wharf as part of the BGC Charity Day and raised some money for the organisation you represent, the Make-A-Wish Foundation. How did you find it?

JT: I really enjoyed it — it was good to be there. The last two or three years I have been asked to come down but I have not been able to because I was training. It was great to see what the traders do and help raise a lot of money for charity.

Make-A-Wish Foundation® UK grants magical wishes to children and young people fighting life-threatening conditions. Make-A-Wish® was founded in the UK in 1986 and has granted more than 8,000 wishes. There are currently 20,000 children and young people in the UK fighting a life-threatening condition, and Make-A-Wish® believes each of them deserves to experience the magic of a wish. This year, Make-A-Wish® hopes to help 900 children and needs to raise £7million to continue their work in the future. The charity receives no government funding and relies on the donations of the public.

To make a donation please visit make-a-wish.org.uk or telephone 01276 40 50 60.