Why Captain John Terry Must be Granted New 1-Year Contract by Chelsea

John Terry has timed talk of a contract extension as perfectly as he does his tackles in a Chelsea shirt.

Last week, Eden Hazard finalised a new deal that will keep him at Chelsea until 2020, and now Terry has struck when the iron's hot.

The Chelsea captain has six months remaining on his one-year deal, and it's clear he is pushing for an extension that will give him at least one more season in west London.

"The club know my position," Terry said this week, per BBC Sport. "I want to stay. Hopefully my performances are showing that and they can keep me.

"I'll be happy to get one year and then see how it goes. I'm taking it year by year. I haven't got much choice.

"Hazard has just been done and that's the most important for the club."

Indeed, Terry has a point. Now that Hazard's future is secured, the club need to focus on their other key assets, of which the captain certainly is one.

He may be 34, but Terry's presence at Stamford Bridge is as strong as ever.

Alongside Branislav Ivanovic and Hazard, he is the only Chelsea player to have featured in every Premier League game this season, making a total of 34 appearances in all competitions.

Chelsea have the league's second best defensive record, too, conceding 21, while in Europe it's just four.

It's not just about stats like that, though.

Michel Euler/Associated Press

In those 35 games, Terry has shown the quality he still has as a player and a leader. And, importantly, that his body can still cope with the rigours of elite football.

There isn't a defender like Terry at Chelsea right now; arguably there isn't one in England.

He remains a dominant force in the air and, despite his lack of pace, is rarely exposed. That's not through luck, either, but has more to do with how he reads the game and positions himself.

It's the mark of an elite player, always knowing where to be.

Terry is a wise old head, and without a ready-made replacement lined up for him, it would be folly to allow him to depart Chelsea.

Clive Rose/Getty Images

Despite the debate surrounding Frank Lampard and his position at Manchester City this season, Jose Mourinho and the Chelsea hierarchy made the right decision in allowing him to leave last summer.

It was a move made out of necessity, not sentiment.

That he has continued to score goals in the Premier League has served to amplify his ability, yet Chelsea were moving in a different direction to where Lampard would have been able to take them.

They needed something different, and watching Cesc Fabregas this season, the Spaniard has given them just that.

Where Terry is concerned, age will be a factor when the club considers his future. He is on the wrong side of 30, yet he still has plenty more to offer Chelsea for the remainder of this season and next.

Clive Mason/Getty Images

Had Lampard remained, there was a risk his presence alone would have hindered Chelsea's progress: It's the opposite with their captain.

Chelsea need Terry. He's a connection to the old Chelsea, the team that won so much under Mourinho and other managers that inherited his squad of players.

He knows how to win the big matches, what it means to be a player under Mourinho's regime. The current crop are still developing, and they need guidance.

The manager will prepare his players on the training ground, but come kick-off, too often it's Terry that is a major catalyst in getting them through.

Mourinho knows that, and it's why of the three club heroes whose contracts expired last year, Terry was the only one offered an extension.

Lampard and Ashley Cole were dispensable.

Now with Chelsea seven points clear in the Premier League and looking strong for a Champions League quarter-final place, Terry is anything but.

Show Terry the dotted line and get him to sign it.

Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes