The debate over Chelsea’s greatest players is a constant talking point among fans, and even former captain John Terry has weighed in. The discussion often revolves around comparing icons from different eras, particularly in midfield. Terry has sparked fresh debate by choosing between two legendary defensive midfielders: Claude Makelele and N’Golo Kante.
Both players enjoyed tremendous success at Stamford Bridge, solidifying their places in Chelsea’s history. The question of who was ultimately better continues to divide opinions. Terry’s choice highlights the impact both players had on the club.
Chelsea Legend chooses between Makelele and Kante
When it comes to naming Chelsea’s best-ever Premier League XI, it can prove a tough task even for former skipper John Terry. The Blues have been one of the best clubs in Europe in the modern era, let alone one of the best in the Premier League, and with that comes a flurry of incredible players to have graced Stamford Bridge.
The West London outfit have only finished outside of the top half once in the past two decades, becoming forces to be reckoned with once Roman Abramovich took over the club in 2003, catapulting Chelsea into becoming one of England’s most feared outfits. Their form has somewhat dipped since the Russian owner left in 2022, but they have still had a number of legends play for the club – including midfield duo Claude Makelele and N’Golo Kante.
The duo bear massive similarities. Makelele came through the French footballing system before a move to Spain, where he spent five years before taking on a move to Stamford Bridge at the start of the Abramovich era. That coincided with a period of huge success for the capital club, winning two Premier League titles, an Fa Cup and two League Cup trophies in his five years as a Chelsea player.
Kante, however, had a similar career trajectory. Coming through the ranks in France, he moved to Leicester City in 2015, being a major part of their surprise Premier League win, and that tempted Chelsea to make a move the following summer. Seven years at Stamford Bridge proved to be largely successful. Often being compared to Makelele, Kante played 269 games for the Blues, winning the Premier League, Fa Cup, Champions League, Europa League and Club World Cup, matching Makelele in terms of honours won.
The “Makelele Role” wins Out Over Kanté’s Versatility
However, when pushed with ranking them against each other, John Terry opted for Makelele, down simply to the fact that the Kinshasa-born star had a role named after him. Once Chelsea skipper said on Icons Memorabilia: “I think when you’ve got a role named after you, ‘The Makelele role’, it has to be Makelele for me. [He is] the original.”
It’s a tough question, but a worldwide-known role in your name does hold some prestige, as Terry pointed out.
Makelele did sit in front of the defence more than Kante to coin his role. The latter was incredible at not only pressing from the front, but carrying the ball and sometimes cropping up with goals for the Blues. However, Makelele’s name still being prevalent in English footballing circles after two decades speaks volumes.
Comparing Chelsea’s Midfield Legends to the Modern Game
It’s a lesser used role nowadays, with the deepest-lying midfielder typically being adept on the ball and spraying passes, as opposed to adding extra security to a defence. Rodri, Sergio Busquets and Declan Rice are perfect examples of this. Perhaps that is why Chelsea were so watertight under Jose Mourinho. Makelele was hard enough to get by just by himself, but when you add Terry, Ricardo Carvalho and Petr Cech into the mix, it was no wonder they were formidable with just 15 goals conceded.
Kante represents the ideal modern midfielder, with bursting energy, pace and something about him going forward, but Makelele reinvented a new role in his time at Stamford Bridge and he should go into the conversation for best defensive midfielder of all-time.
Terry’s choice is a testament to Makelele’s lasting influence on the game and on Chelsea. While Kante was a phenomenal player in his own right, the “Makelele role” has etched the Frenchman’s name into footballing lexicon forever. But does the modern game undervalue a purely defensive midfielder? The likes of Rodri and Rice prove that the position can still evolve and be pivotal to a team’s success, leaving room for debate on what truly defines a world-class defensive midfielder.
