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Former Chelsea player and coach Ray Wilkins claims Antonio Conte wants Andrea Pirlo as his assistant manager next season.

Steve Holland currently occupies the role but will be leaving in the summer to be take up a full-time role with the England national team.

Wilkins, who spent years as an assistant to Chelsea bosses like Carlo Ancelotti, Guus Hiddink and Luiz Felipe Scolari told talkSPORT: "Pirlo, the Italian, speaks English and he can come in tomorrow.

“I know for a fact he's been around Stamford Bridge a few times this season.

“He's the one I'm sure he (Conte) wants to bring in – he (Conte) managed him (Pirlo) until he was 34 at Juventus.”

(Image: Ian Vogler/Daily Mirror) (Image: Mike Hewitt / Getty) (Image: Claudio Villa)

Conte and Pirlo won five trophies together at Juventus between 2011 and 2014: three Serie A titles and two Supercoppa Italianas.

In an interview last month, Pirlo hailed Conte as "the best coach" and branded him "a genius".

Pirlo, 37, is currently playing for New York City FC in the MLS but he has less than a year left on his current contract in the Big Apple.