Players right behind new Chelsea boss Villas-Boas

Chelsea captain John Terry says the youthful age of the club’s new manager Andre Villas-Boas does not stop the team from respecting him.

Former Porto coach Villas-Boas is just 33 years old, the same age as star players Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba, but the Blues skipper feels the Portuguese’s career record as a manager already speaks for itself.

“Every Chelsea manager is compared to (former boss) Jose (Mourinho) and maybe that’s even more magnified with Andre, which is a bit unfair to him,” Terry said.

“But clearly he has learned from Jose and there are things where you think, that is very Mourinho-esque.”

“When Andre was here before, Jose took everything, so Andre wasn’t given the freedom to be able to do what he’s doing with us now.”

“Certainly you see the confidence he has in himself. He makes you believe that what he’s talking about is right.”

“His whole demeanour and his attitude is second to none. He deserves our respect.”

“We realise what he achieved at Porto and his knowledge from before he became a manager.”

The England skipper, one of the senior players for the Blues at 30 years old, rejected suggestions that there is a culture of player power at Stamford Bridge that could undermine Villas-Boas.

“People think that about the club … that a lot of us are strong and we’ve got too much input,” said Terry.

“I can honestly say that’s not the case and, certainly, it hasn’t been for the last four or five years.”

“What you will get from the likes of myself, Lampard, Drogba, Petr Cech and Ashley Cole is that we’ll be committed and we’ll be making sure that everyone follows and listens to what he’s saying.”

“I think he knows that. He had this respect from us before, anyway. His age is not a problem at all.”

“I also know there’s this feeling out there that players like myself, Lampard and Drogba, the players that have been there for a long time, take our places in the team for granted, but it’s the complete opposite.”

“We are the ones, day in day out, who are digging in deep, getting everyone together and making sure we are setting the right example.”

Chelsea begin their title challenge away to Stoke on Sunday.