Former Chelsea captain John Terry has backed new Blues manager Xabi Alonso to succeed where he believes his old interim boss, Rafael Benítez, failed: putting past Liverpool allegiance aside and adapting to his new club.
Terry expects Alonso to be granted a high degree of control over transfers after agreeing a four-year contract at Chelsea.
This would place the former midfielder in stark contrast to his old Liverpool boss, Benítez, who had a brief stint at Chelsea from November 2012 to May 2013.
Terry, who had an infamously fractious relationship with Benítez despite Chelsea's 2012-13 Europa League success, told a virtual roundtable hosted by SuperSport in response to ESPN's question: "I don't think he'll struggle at all. I think he'll come in the building on day one and have respect as a player and as a manager. To go on and do what he's done in such a short career as a manager [has earned it for him].
"That Liverpool - Chelsea rivalry will always be there. I hope Liverpool regret not getting him, because that would mean Chelsea have then been successful, so I hope that's the case.
"100% from the Chelsea supporters; this is a positive signing. I'm sure he's going to get a massive response at the opening day of the season. Naturally, like all managers or ex-players, he'll be judged by his results, but I love the fact that he's in the building."
Benítez afforded Terry limited minutes at Chelsea in the 2012-13 season, with the then-centre-back having been deemed as past the peak of his powers.
However, after the Spaniard was succeeded by José Mourinho, Terry played every minute of Chelsea's 2014-15 Premier League title-winning campaign and then went on to lift his fourth league title aged 34 under Antonio Conte two years later.
Alonso, like Terry, played under Benítez, Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti. The former Liverpool and Real Madrid midfielder also featured under Pep Guardiola for Bayern Munich.
Terry believes that Alonso's success as a manager -- including a double-winning 2023-24 campaign with Bayer Leverkusen and a subsequent stint at Real Madrid -- was influenced by his playing career, and likened him to former Chelsea midfielder and head coach Frank Lampard in terms of his ability to connect with players.
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"If I was a player coming into Chelsea and I sat with Alonso; I look at the difference between sitting with him or Rafa [Benítez] -- I know who I would like to sign for -- I would like to sign for Xabi and would like to come and play for him because he's a great man; he's a great technician [and] he was a top player," Terry said.
"These managers -- you're seeing Frank Lampard do well in the game and him -- they're on such a good wavelength with the players, I think it's perfect because they can tap into what they were doing when they were playing and what they liked and stuff. So, I think it's going to be a really positive signing and I'm delighted to have him in the building."
Alonso and Lampard are set to face off in the Premier League after Chelsea's record goalscorer earned promotion with Coventry City.
When former Spain star Alonso leads the Blues against his old club, Liverpool; he will come up against his childhood friend, Andoni Iraola, who was appointed following his Bournemouth exit and the Reds parting ways with Arne Slot.