Profile: John Terry

John Terry has become a Chelsea regular

John Terry is one of the young English players brought through the Chelsea ranks since the arrival of Italian manager Claudio Ranieri.

The Essex-born defender is seen as having a key role at the heart of the Chelsea rearguard.

The centre-back recently committed his future to the club by signing a new four-and-a-half-year contract.

The new deal will keep him at Stamford Bridge until 2005.

The 6ft 1in defender, who hails from Barking, is a product of Chelsea's youth system.

Such is his growing stature at Stamford Bridge he rose above World Cup winner Marcel Desailly in the defensive pecking order.

And so highly does Ranieri rate Terry that he felt confident in letting Desailly's fellow World Cup winner Frank Leboeuf to Marseille.

Terry had captained England's Under-21 team and is tipped to win full international caps.