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John Terry knows better than most what it takes to make the grade at a major Premier League club like Chelsea.
Having appeared 717 times for the Blues across 19 years of service, Terry is an undisputed club legend at Stamford Bridge.
The defender captained Chelsea as they won five Premier League titles, four FA Cups and the Champions League across a glittering career.
He graduated from the youth ranks to make an appearance as a substitute in a League Cup tie against Aston Villa.
Former Chelsea captain John Terry has revealed the most talented player from his days as a youth player who did not make the grade
Terry made 717 appearances for the Blues across 19 years after graduating from the youth team in 1998
However, one of Terry’s team-mates in the underage teams was an even greater prospect according to the former England captain.
When asked who was the most talented player to not make the grade In an Instagram Live in 2020, Terry responded: ‘He was like a midfielder/winger, had so much ability.
‘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.’
Although Terry still has a clear memory of his one-time team-mate, even Chelsea fans could be forgiven for not remembering Rob Wolleaston.
The Ealing-born midfielder made his first appearance for the Blues just months after Terry, in a League Cup tie against Huddersfield Town.
Gullit had left Chelsea by the time Wolleaston made his debut, meaning it was Gianluca Vialli who gave him his big break.
Wolleaston made his Premier League debut for Chelsea as a late substitute against Sunderland a few weeks later.
Wolleaston made just two appearances for Chelsea before dropping down the divisions in search of game time
The midfielder missed the chance to make his debut under Ruud Gullit (left) after calling in sick before Gianluca Vialli (right) gave him his first appearance in 1999
He never featured again for the club though, joining Bristol Rovers for the second part of the 1999-2000 season in the first of a series of loans away from Stamford Bridge.
Following spells at Nottingham Forest, Portsmouth and Northampton, Wolleaston was allowed to join Bradford City in a permanent deal in 2003.
An uneventful one-season stint at Valley Parade was followed by 12 months at Oxford United before the former youth team prodigy dropped into non-league football.
Wolleaston retired in 2014 following three seasons at Harrow Borough.
