John Terry hails ‘incredible ability’ of unknown former Chelsea youngster

John Terry has named the young player he thinks was the most talented to fail to establish a career at Chelsea.

Terry represented Blues for 19 years and watched countless youth team players on the training ground, but the club legend has identified little-known Rob Wolleaston as the best.

Wolleaston is aged 40, one year Terry’s senior, and the former Blues skipper believes he should have gone on to achieve more at Stamford Bridge. 

Rob Wolleaston has been named by John Terry as the most talented youth team player who was unable to establish a career at Chelsea. He made two appearances for the club in 1999.

After being asked to nominate one exceptional player on Instagram live, Terry said: ‘Probably a boy called Rob Wolleaston at Chelsea.

‘He was like a midfielder/winger, had so much ability.

‘I still know Rob now, but mentally he didn’t have that to go and push himself.’

‘He got chosen to train with the first team at a really young age, 17 or 18, did really well and (Ruud) Gullit told him he was going to play in the first team in a cup game.

‘He then phoned up on the day of the game and said he was sick.

‘All of us, if we were sick or felt like we were at the end of the world, we would have still gone and played the game, we wouldn’t have given up that opportunity.

‘He actually done it two or three times and he was just not mentally ready for the game, but ability-wise, incredible.’

Wolleaston eventually made his first-team debut in October 1999, coming on for Roberto Di Matteo in the final six minutes of a 1-0 defeat by Huddersfield in the League Cup third round.  

Terry lifts the Premier League trophy as Chelsea are crowned champions in 2017

Wolleaston would go on to represent multiple non-league clubs including Cambridge United

Wolleaston made his one and only Premier League appearance two months later, replacing Dennis Wise in the 4-1 defeat at Sunderland.

Manager Gianluca Vialli loaned the midfielder to Bristol Rovers, Nottingham Forest, Portsmouth and Northampton before allowing him to join Bradford on a permanent deal in 2003.

He registered one goal in 14 matches for the west Yorkshire club, proceeding to sign for League Two Oxford United at the end of the season.

After suffering with injury problems, he moved to non-league Cambridge United in 2006.

Before the end of his career, Wolleaston would also feature for non-league sides Rushden & Diamonds, Farnborough, Weymouth and Harrow Borough.