• New Sunderland manager advised the young Terry as a player • 'He was a credit and I can only speak highly of him'

John Terry has said Paolo Di Canio is a "nice guy" ahead of Chelsea's home game with Sunderland and their new manager on Sunday.

"I played against him when he was at Charlton," the Chelsea captain told the Evening Standard. "His movement was fantastic and I found he was just a real nice guy on the pitch. He always spoke to me after games and said: 'Listen, maybe you should do this and do that,' which was really nice at the time.

"What did he say? Just certain things. When he made certain movements I should maybe have been tighter and stuff like that. I was only young at the time when I was playing against him when he was at West Ham and sides like that.

"I had the likes of [Gianfranco] Zola and these guys teaching me every day but from an opposition player it was quite nice to get that literally two-word sentence. A two-word sentence was enough and something I learned from.

"He always gave a battle. If there was a little tussle he'd get up and shake your hand after and that kind of thing. So very fair, very passionate, as we've seen with his character, and his ability was fantastic. He was a credit and I can only speak highly of him."

Sunderland go to Chelsea on Sunday just one point off the relegation zone but Terry has backed Di Canio to galvanise the side. "It's going to be really tough. Obviously, a new manager has come in, who was a fantastic player as well. He's going to have them up for it. I think he'll show passion.

"You could see how well organised Swindon were over the short period of time he was there. It always seems to be the case – a new manager and Chelsea play that side."