Andreas Christensen Can Emulate John Terry at Chelsea, Says Antonio Conte

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has backed centre-back Andreas Christensen to be a Blues player for many years to come and potentially emulate Stamford Bridge legend John Terry. 

The Italian boss said Christensen has all the attributes to become a top player after breaking into the Chelsea first team this season, per the Daily Mail's Sami Mokbel:

"This is a big comparison [with Terry]. But I think [Christensen] has the right characteristics to play for this club for many years, to become an important player for this team, for this club. I wish Christensen to have the same career as John. I think Chelsea have found a player who can have the same career as some of the best defenders here.

"When you start to play for a great club like Chelsea, for sure the future is yours. He's a serious person, always committed in training sessions. He doesn't speak a lot. He prefers facts to words. I can predict a fantastic career for him."

The comparison with Terry is potentially daunting for the 21-year-old Christensen.

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The former Blues captain left Chelsea last summer after winning five Premier League titles with the club and a UEFA Champions League during a 19-year senior career.

Christensen has played just 15 league games for Chelsea—14 of them this season—and spent the vast majority of his fledgling senior career on loan at Borussia Monchengladbach.

However, he is an impressive player who boasts maturity beyond his years in the centre of defence.

His spell with Gladbach was a big success as he became a mainstay of the Bundesliga side's first team and subsequently returned to Chelsea a much better player.

It has been remarkable, though, just how well he has performed in the Chelsea back line so far this season, and he has usurped David Luiz as one of Conte's first-choice centre-backs.

Terry himself backed Christensen to succeed three years ago:

And Chelsea are already reportedly making plans to get him signed to an extended contract, per Simon Johnson in the Evening Standard.

Christensen has the confidence of his manager, and Chelsea fans will be hoping he can continue to improve and become a defensive stalwart at Stamford Bridge, as Terry was for almost two decades.