John Terry: Luiz ready to take my armband

Posted Sunday, May 01, 2011 by Dailystar.co.uk

John Terry: Luiz ready to take my armband
ABOVE: John Terry has tipped David Luiz as a future Chelsea captain

JOHN TERRY has hailed the sensational impact of David Luiz at Chelsea – and tipped the Brazilian star as a future captain.

Since his £22million arrival from Benfica in the January transfer window, the Samba star, 24, has won rave reviews.

And nobody has been more impressed with Luiz’s performances during his first couple of months on these shores than his Stamford Bridge defensive partner, Terry.

So much so that the England skipper, who has been leading Chelsea for seven glory-filled years, is already convinced Luiz (below) possesses the necessary characteristics to wear the armband one day.

Terry, 30, said: “David is incredible. To have such an impact at such an early stage of his career here is amazing.

“Normally, when a player first comes in it will take him at least three or four weeks to settle but David has come in and hit the ground running straight away.

“It’s very different for him over here.

“He has played in Portugal with Benfica, so he is learning about our game all the time.

“We are talking long-term here but, for me, with the quality he has, he is possibly a future captain of this football club.”

That is some compliment given Terry is the most successful captain in Chelsea’s history – having lifted three league titles and three FA Cups since 2004, including a first-ever Double last season.

Along with Luiz’s no-nonsense style in defence and attacking abilities, it is the player’s willingness to fit in that has caught Terry’s eye.

He added: “David is a great lad. He wants to learn and improve every day. That is something we will get to see the longer he is here.”