Andre Villas-Boas hailed John Terry after the Chelsea captain helped his side secure a 1-1 draw at Tottenham.
Terry was given a hostile reception by the home fans following the Crown Prosecution Service’s announcement that he will be charged with public order offence following allegations he racially abused QPR’s Anton Ferdinand during October’s west London derby.
The defender responded with an impressive performance and denied Spurs late winner by blocking Emmanuel Adebayor’s injury-time effort.
And manager Villas-Boas declared: “He’s a fantastic player. His effort for the collective is extraordinary.
“John’s condition is fantastic and we have seen great performances from him. He anticipated the situation perfectly at the end to save the goal.
“His level of performance has actually increased since the incident [involving Ferdinand]. His commitment and concentration were fantastic.”
He added: “I want to see people who will die for the cause and our commitment was excellent. Even if Tottenham had won this game, our performance was very satisfying.”
But Villas-Boas reiterated his desire to sign a centre-back when the transfer window opens.
Bolton’s England defender Gary Cahill is a target for the Blues, who have looked vulnerable at the back for much of the season.
“We will be in the market for a central defender. It’s pretty obvious,” he said.
“Cahill is extremely interesting but I cannot speak a lot about a player that does not belong to me.”
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This post was last modified on 26/12/2011
