“Why is he calling John Terry?” Kalidou Koulibaly’s Chelsea shirt number gesture questioned after receiving No.26 shirt

Carlton Palmer has asked Kalidou Koulibaly to ask club legend John Terry for his Chelsea shirt number.

The Blues’ new signing moved to Stamford Bridge earlier this summer in a £33million deal.

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The 31-year-old established himself as one of the best defenders during his time at Napoli where he wore the number 26 shirt, a jersey famously linked to Terry.

No player has worn the shirt since Terry’s exit in 2017, and after a nice gesture of calling out the former defender, Terry was more than happy to approve of Koulibaly taking the shirt.

In a clip shared by Koulibaly, Terry could be heard saying, “The 26th was very special to me, I really appreciate you calling.

“It’s no problem for me that you take it, absolute pleasure.”

“I wish you luck because I know how important the number was to me and I saw you wearing 26 as well. Gladly mate, I give you 26.

“No pressure. You will keep the winning trophies for us.

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Despite Koulibaly’s gesture to call out the Chelsea legend, Carlton Palmer is convinced it was unnecessary.

Speaking to Kick Off on talkSPORT, Palmer said: “Why is he calling John Terry?

“He’s a legend of the game and that’s a fact. John Terry is steeped in history and always will be.

“He was an exceptional captain and a lot of other things, but I’ve never seen a player call a former player by his number. A number that hasn’t been retired.

“Some people might see it as a mark of respect, I don’t really see it, to be honest.”

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