After recently securing a one-year deal to remain with Chelsea, Frank Lampard fully expects his long-time teammate and good friend John Terry also to stay at Stamford Bridge, despite reports linking the Blues skipper with a move away in the summer.
Terry did not have a great time of it this season, with injuries blighting his campaign, while Rafa Benitez used him only sparingly even when he was fit.
That has led to some suggestions that the Chelsea stalwart could leave the club, if not this summer, then the next when his contract expires in 2014.
However, Lampard has no doubts about the fact that Terry's future lies at Stamford Bridge. "I know JT will want to stay, he's said he'd love to stay at Chelsea," Lampard told The Sun. "He feels the same as me.
"Why play anywhere else when you love the club you're at? JT's the captain of the club and does a brilliant job.
"At the start of next season, I think that's when the club will take a view on it. I know what my view would be."
There have been suggestions in the past that Chelsea's senior core enjoys a little too much power within the club, with Andre Villas-Boas, now at Tottenham, reportedly losing his job due to that specific reason.
However, Lampard refuted those suggestions vehemently, saying the senior players have no influence over the hiring and firing of players or managers.
"One thing that has helped us remain successful over such a long period is a strong core, strong spine," he said. "I mean that in terms of players -- their ability, personality and the leaders.
"You need people like that in the dressing room. But the idea of the dressing room being too strong? Certainly not.
"I've never heard of any players here being able to ask our owner to sack a manager or even discuss anything to do with the structure of the club.
"If you wanted to take that chance you would probably get sacked yourself."
