'He's a mad man!' Chelsea fans react to the 'next John Terry' making debut

James Shearman

• Updated: 28 Dec 2023 19:20 GMT
• 3 min read

Chelsea defender Alfie Gilchrist made an excellent impression on Blues fans in his first-team debut on Wednesday night.

The 20-year-old only came on in injury time of Chelsea's 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace but he still managed to win over the Stamford Bridge faithful.

His hunger and desire to secure the three points was clear for all to see, particularly in an attempt to block the ball with his head.

Gilchrist was later described as 'a mad man' on a Twitter post by 'VdykCFC', which thousands of people have liked.

Meanwhile, some Chelsea fans compared Gilchrist to club legend John Terry, who came through the same academy more than 20 years ago.

In fact, the two have worked together at the Blues' Cobham training ground, and Terry has spoken publicly about his hopes for Gilchrist going forward.

John Terry on Alfie Gilchrist

Terry had already tipped Gilchrist to have a successful career at Stamford Bridge prior to Wednesday night's cameo.

"Alfie Gilchrist is a really, really good player," the former England captain said at a fans’ Q&A session earlier this month.

"He’s got an unbelievable attitude, he’s been at the club since the age of eight. He performs so well on a daily basis and does everything right."

However, the 43-year-old did suggest that a loan move would the right next step for the promising defender.

"We spoke about the young players going on loan - I think Alfie’s next step is to go on loan next season, and then we will see how he does.

"I’m expecting big things from Alfie. I expect to see him play a game or two this season, we’ll have to see how the season goes on," Terry added.