Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink claims captain John Terry remains as determined a player as he has ever been.

The 35-year-old defender is still yet to be offered a new contract by the Blues but that has not stopped him from showing the competitive nature and hunger that have been evident throughout his glittering career.

With Antonio Conte set to take the reins at Stamford Bridge in the summer, it remains to be seen if captain Terry will remain at the club, but he has received a ringing endorsement from Hiddink who insists that the fire still burns deep within the loyal veteran.

"He was almost unapproachable when he got his physical setback," Hiddink said ahead of Terry's return from an Achilles injury in Monday night's clash with Tottenham Hotspur.

"He's not a player who says, 'OK, it's the end of my career, or maybe I have one or two years more'.

"The desire is there, and you see it in training sessions as well.

"He's always motivated. I never had one training session with him - even in my previous spell (in 2009) with different players - where I said, 'Hey, John, today you were not there'. He was always there.

"In training, he's tackling (the same) whether it's one day before the game or one or two days after the game. I have to put the brake on a bit, which means the desire is still high."

Hiddink added: "You must have the deep down fire in your body, in your soul."