Cahill helped marshal the Chelsea defence alongside Terry after joining the club from Bolton in January 2012, with the two forming one of the strongest partnerships in the league.

The pair were regular starters during the 2014/15 title-winning season – Terry played every game and Cahill missed only two – as Jose Mourinho's team finished in top spot.

Both were also part of the squad that won the Premier League in 2016/17 under Antonio Conte, a season that ended with Terry claiming his fifth and final title winner's medal.

Following Terry’s latest accolade, Cahill gave an insight into what it felt like to play next to the club legend, citing the strengths that made him an outstanding defender.

‘When I first started training with him, there were two things that stood out: how tidy he was with the ball, and how well he read the game,' Cahill said.

'You never really see the best centre-backs getting exposed in many one-vs-one situations because they read the game so well. I felt like I just had to worry about what I was doing, knowing full well he was taking care of what he was doing.

‘He was so established in his position, so experienced, and so good. Sometimes you've had partnerships where you're not quite sure what your teammate is going to do or what position he’s going to be in. John made life a lot easier.

‘It was a good partnership. We were both very vocal on the pitch, both dragged each other around in terms of position and tried to drive the team but it made it a lot easier to play with somebody like him.’

Cahill admitted that once he saw Terry was nominated for induction into the Hall of Fame, he thought his inclusion was ‘a formality’ and that the recognition is ‘thoroughly deserved’.

When it came down to what separated him from other players, Cahill pointed toward his mentality and ability to keep standards high.

‘He was brave and he read the game really well. He seems to sometimes get an ‘old school’ tag, but he was a very good and intelligent footballer. He could use his left foot and right foot equally well.

‘One of the first things that stands out is his leadership, the way that he can take control of a group and drive players and drive standards in the club and in the team.

'He was destined to be a captain. He’d take control of details - down to the food, down to the treatment - and try and get the players the best outcome, which is to win trophies, which he did many times.

‘He was fully committed to wholehearted defending. That was the way he played, the way he trained. He wanted to win everything that he did.

‘In training, he’d want to win the small-sided game, even wanted to win head tennis. He just had that kind of drive and that winner's mentality. John Terry epitomised what Chelsea was about.’