John Terry admits he is “fighting” for his future as a first-team regular at Chelsea as the club seek to integrate a new generation of younger players, but insists he would not play for a rival team.
The former England centre-half opened the scoring in Sunday’s Capital One Cup final against Tottenham Hotspur and was voted man of the match after a typically-powerful defensive performance. The 34-year-old is one of only three players to have started every Premier League game this season but is out of contract in the summer. While no formal talks have taken place, he will be offered a new 12-month deal by the club to extend his stay into an 18th senior campaign.
His longevity is all the more remarkable given events just prior to José Mourinho’s return to the club in 2013, when Terry had been hampered by injuries and was reduced to a bit-part role over the interim stewardship of Rafael Benítez.
“That was not through choice,” said the defender. “The manager [Mourinho] came in, sat me down and made it clear if I worked hard I’d get extra years and would play, but if not there are others players who are younger who can play and will fight for the place. So I am fighting for my future, for my family’s future, and I want to give it everything.
“I don’t know how long I have left. Hopefully I have a few years left but if this is my last year then I hope it will go out on a bang. The uncertainty has helped me positively. The roles have reversed – you don’t have four or five years [of contract] ahead as you get older – and now the power is in the club’s hands. That has inspired me. I am fighting for myself and my family, and to prove people wrong. It doesn’t come much bigger than that.”
Terry has ruled out following Frank Lampard’s lead by playing for a rival Premier League club when he eventually leaves Stamford Bridge. Lampard left Chelsea last summer to join the new MLS franchise New York City FC before signing a short-term deal with Manchester City. Asked if would he sign for a rival if the chance arose, Terry said: “No, but there’s a right time to go as well.
“Certainly I am feeling great at the minute and it would be the wrong time to go. But there does come a point where it would be the right time to go, to say it’s time to move on and people will remember you that way. I have my little target to play next year but beyond that, two or three years? I don’t know.”
