Former Chelsea defender Marcel Desailly has admitted his surprise at the consistent form of John Terry throughout the season.

The 34-year-old former England captain was a mainstay of the champions' defence and won widespread praise for his performances across the campaign for Jose Mourinho's side.

Ex-France international Desailly described the Blues captain as a "real leader", but admitted that he didn't foresee the long-serving Terry playing such a key role in helping his side to the title.

Desailly told Goal.com: "We knew that in the leadership aspect he was going to be a great player, and you've seen it - he's a real leader for his team.

"But as a player I was not expecting him to do so well for so long. He's 34, he's still performing well."

Terry signed a new one-year deal at Stamford Bridge back in March.