Chelsea No2 Ray Wilkins heaped praise on John Terry after their FA Cup win over Stoke City.
Goals from Frank Lampard and Terry gave Chelsea a place in the last four where they will meet Aston Villa at Wembley.
Terry was booed and abused all afternoon by Stoke fans who lambasted the defender for his alleged affair with Vanessa Perroncel, the former girlfriend of his one-time Chelsea team-mate Wayne Bridge.
Terry, stripped of the England captaincy by Fabio Capello because of the lurid headlines concerning his private life, celebrated his second half goal by running to the corner flag and pointing at his captain's armband.
Terry's action was in clear response to the criticism he had received from City's supporters.
When asked about the abuse, Wilkins replied: "It's happening and John's just getting on with the situation.
"I'm not too happy about it, but there's nothing I can do. He's dealing with the situation in the only way he can - committing himself to the cause. That was another superb performance from him."
When quizzed about Terry's celebration involving the use of the armband, Wilkins added: "He was taking a bit too much stick from the Stoke fans and wanted to demonstrate that.
"He's an exceptional captain and we're delighted to have him on board. He leads these players on the pitch in fantastic fashion and scored a great second goal."