John Terry: I'm surprised to be last of the Chelsea old guard still standing
The former England international turns 35 in December, but he is doing everything in his power to delay the inevitable
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Your support makes all the difference.When John Terry reported back for pre-season training, the change of dynamics inside the Chelsea dressing room was palpable. Terry has grown accustomed to being surrounded by a select group of senior brothers in arms as major trophy has followed major trophy since 2005.
Many players have contributed to the club’s rise to power, but the Roman Abramovich era has been synonymous with the efforts of Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole, Petr Cech, Didier Drogba and Terry most of all.
But with Cech and Drogba leaving in the summer, Terry is now the only surviving member of the trusted old guard. It is no wonder, as he conducts his first in-depth interview ahead of the new campaign, at the club’s training base in Montreal, that he is in reflective mood.
Despite enjoying his best season last term, when the centre-half played every minute of every league game on the way to lifting a fourth championship with Chelsea, Terry knows time is running out for him too.
The former England international turns 35 in December, but he is doing everything in his power to delay the inevitable, including training on a daily basis throughout his summer break.
“If you look back, I would not have thought I’d be the last one here, to be honest,” said Terry.
“Players come, players go and the club moves on – and the aim is still to win things, which is the most important. I realise one day that my career will come to an end so I want to give everything these next few years. I am 35 at Christmas so I am looking at a couple of years. Every summer I work more or less every day to give myself the best chance.
“If it comes to that point where I am left out of the side, I know it’s not through any fault of not trying. To look at myself in the mirror and my family, that is all I do in my career.”
The departure of a legend is always tough for any club’s fan base to take, but seeing them join another Premier League side can be even harder to bear.
Last season, Chelsea fans found Lampard turning out for Manchester City, although it was for just 12 months. Now Cech has switched allegiance to London rivals Arsenal, with the prospect of being their No 1 for years to come.
Naturally, it begs the question whether Terry could follow suit in future should opportunities in the first team start to dry up. However, his loyalty to the cause of Chelsea, where he made his professional debut in 1998, is resolute. He added: “If I felt Chelsea were going to release me or thought I had nothing else to give, but I thought I could, then of course I would still want to continue to play. But that would not be in the Premier League, for sure.”
So far Chelsea, who dominated the race from start to finish last season, have been frugal in the transfer market, with only Radamel Falcao and Asmir Begovic being added to the squad. Manchester City have brought in Raheem Sterling for an English record £49m, Manchester United have enticed a player of the calibre of World Cup winner Bastian Schweinsteiger to Old Trafford and Liverpool have spent a small fortune.
“I think a lot of them needed to strengthen and they have done that,” said Terry. “I think they will come back a lot hungrier, ready and believing they can catch us and even overtake us.
“Maybe clubs have had added £5m more on players than they thought they had to pay. Maybe the gap and how good we were last year has forced them into that.
“I know it’s an old cliché but, having won it before, I know how difficult it is to retain it the following year. Everyone raises their game. We’ve got to be right both physically and mentally.”
Despite Manchester City being one of their main challengers, Terry is hoping Sterling recovers from a bitter divorce from Liverpool to show the country why he is such an exciting talent.
“It is a lot of money but what other English player could you go out and buy?” Terry said. “For me, he was one of the best players in the league last year.
“There were things that he did not perhaps handle well, but he is a young kid who wants to play right at the very top. And through no fault of his own he has had to go and do that at Manchester City because Liverpool did not make that grade last year.
“So I understand where he has come from on that front and wish him well, because I think he’s a top English player. Forget the money.”
Whatever happens to Terry over the next few years, no one will forget his contribution to Chelsea.
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