As our China debut nears, captain John Terry has been discussing his excitement at travelling to the Far East.

Terry has played in Asia before, part of the side that lifted the pre-season FA Premier League Asia Cup in Malaysia in 2003, but China is a stamp missing from the defender's passport.

'I am really looking forward to arriving in China and playing in front of some capacity crowds,' said the 27-year-old.

'I have never been to the country before, but I know football is developing quickly there, and that the fans really appreciate the sport.

'There is a real buzz about Asian and Chinese sport in particular with the 2008 Beijing Olympics going on out there too, and it will be nice for Chelsea to be a part of that excitement.'

JT is no stranger to large stadiums, but he is also eagerly anticipating playing in Guangzhou and Kuala Lumpur, two venues that cater for upwards of 80,000 fans.

'I am sure there will be a tremendous atmosphere in those places and in the smaller stadium in Macau too,' he said.

'It is always exciting to play in front of a large crowd, and we'll be going full out to put on a good show for everybody out there.

'There is no way we can take any of the games lightly. We have strong opposition, and we need to be in the best condition possible for the start of the Premier League season.'

Terry also believes that Felipe Scolari will have a large influence on the squad, with nobody wanting to give less than 100 per cent.

'We are all professionals, and with the new manager, all of the players will want to impress him to make sure we are a part of his plans,' the skipper said.

The Asia tour will take in three games on July 23, 26 and 29, before the squad travel to Russia for the Railways Cup, where we meet Lokomotiv Moscow, and either AC Milan or Sevilla.

You can see all of those games live on Chelsea TV, which will be with the squad for the entirety of the tour. Tickets are still available for the matches too.

For more information please call 00852 2314 2112. UK visitors to China should note that they will need a visa and China is substantially reducing the number of tourist visas it issues ahead of this summer's Olympics.