Chelsea icon John Terry has advised the Blues academy players to gain experience on loan rather than playing youth football.

Terry, a Chelsea youth product himself, spent a stint on loan at Nottingham Forest early on in his career and he credits the experience as invaluable.

When asked if the club could produce another Chelsea legend, Terry replied: "I think they will. I am confident they will. I just hope it is sooner rather than later.

"We have some really good boys and winning the Youth Cup and the UEFA Youth League is great but you want to see that progression with them coming through.

"I think we will see boys who are 17 or 18 and physically good enough and can handle it play on loan rather than play youth team football, and I think that will serve them really well.

"Going on loan definitely did for me as a young player. You go into dressing rooms with real men where winning means everything, bonuses mean paying the mortgage, and there aren't things you take for granted.

"So if they can go out and get 50 to 100 games under their belt by the age of 19 to 20, it will serve them well definitely. To come through at the age of 17 or 18 you are going to have to be someone really, really special."