Former Chelsea defender Ricardo Carvalho has claimed that a player like John Terry "would be missed by any club", as the long-serving skipper prepares to make a decision over his next career step.
Terry brought the curtain down on his 22-year association with the Blues at the weekend, leaving the pitch 26 minutes in - representing his shirt number - of the 5-1 victory over Sunderland at Stamford Bridge.
The ex-England international was used sparingly by boss Antonio Conte this term, with his only starts between October and May coming in cup competitions, but Carvalho believes that his leadership qualities will be missed behind the scenes.
"He is a leader. He is a player who would be missed by any club. And unfortunately he will be leaving the club," he told Omnisport. "I wish he were finishing his career there. I think he wants to continue playing at the highest level for at least a year or two. And so that was his option with the club.
"He was the player I competed with most and fortunately things went very well for both of us. Unfortunately, football has these situations. He was also getting old and now it looks like it will be his final year, but life goes on. I hope one day he can return to the club."
Carvalho, who played alongside Terry for six seasons, is currently plying his trade for Shanghai SIPG in the Chinese Super League.
