Gary Cahill will resume captain duties on a full-time basis next season after being a regular stand-in for departed skipper John Terry in the 2016-17 campaign.
Chelsea announced that the 31-year-old was handed the armband on Wednesday, with the versatile Cesar Azpilicueta appointed as vice-captain.
"I felt every emotion," Cahill said after being given the distinction from manager Antonio Conte. "I was delighted, proud, excited, and (I'm) looking forward to it.
"I was lucky to have the armband for quite a long time last year but obviously John Terry was still club captain and a huge figure here, but I gained a lot of experience from that and hopefully I can continue in the same vein this season."
Sold by Martin O'Neill in January 2008 after he failed to usurp Martin Laursen and Olof Mellberg in Aston Villa's defence, Cahill's career took off during his four years with Bolton Wanderers. He showed an impressive technical ability - particularly for a brawny centre-half - encouraging then-Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas to sign him for £7 million.
Since moving to the English capital in 2012, Cahill has collected two league titles, an FA Cup, a League Cup, and a winners medal in both the Champions League and Europa League.
His deputy skipper, Azpilicueta, was rewarded for five years of sterling work for the Blues. He's turned out in a variety of positions for the club since joining from Marseille in 2012, and was voted Player of the Year by his teammates for the 2013-14 season.