Chelsea have officially confirmed that Gary Cahill will take over from John Terry as the club's new captain.
Cahill wore the armband for the majority of last season as Chelsea stormed to the Premier League title in Antonio Conte's debut campaign at the helm, but long-serving Terry was still registered as the club's skipper until his departure this summer.
The 31-year-old was expected to be awarded the captaincy ahead of the new season, and the club have now confirmed that he will take on the role with Cesar Azpilicueta as his vice-captain.
"it's definitely a proud moment in my career. I've had some good moments up until now and this certainly ranks very highly. To be captain of such a huge club like Chelsea is a great personal achievement," he told the club's official website.
"I felt every emotion. I was delighted, proud, excited and looking forward to it. I was lucky to have the armband for quite a long time last year but obviously John Terry was still club captain and a huge figure here, but I gained a lot of experience from that and hopefully I can continue in the same vein this season.
"I've experienced it and it's almost been a gradual step into it, rather than the shock of going from never having been a captain into the role. It was a nice progression. Obviously there is a bit of extra responsibility, probably off the pitch more than on the pitch now, which will be slightly different for me, but to watch and learn from how John did things when he was here was vital for me.
"The way I play is the way I play. I want to win and whether I have the armband or not, that won't change. Hopefully I can just lead by example on the pitch."
Chelsea's first match of their Premier League title defence comes at home to Burnley on August 12.
Barney Corkhill
