DEFIANT CHELSEA CAPTAIN John Terry on Wednesday brushed off criticism of his controversial farewell substitution at Stamford Bridge which caused a furore in the English media.
The 36-year-old central defender — who will leave Chelsea in the close season after 22 years at the club — was given a guard of honour by his teammates last weekend when he was substituted after 26 minutes (the same as his squad number) during a 5-1 final-day victory over Sunderland in the Premier League.
The arrangement was later described as contrived and embarrassing by some pundits while reports fans won money by betting on the substitution –- and that Sunderland agreed to kick the ball out on 26 minutes — have added fuel to the fire.
Terry, however, has insisted he has no regrets and is certain the reaction will not tarnish his memories of an emotional farewell.
I couldn’t care less, I promise you,” Terry told journalists ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup final against Arsenal.
“All I care about is celebrating with my Chelsea fans because me and them have had an incredible rapport and have done for 22 years.
No-one, whatever is written or said, can ever get in the way of that.
“If that’s the way I want to go out, that’s the way I go out.
“Because you know what, I’ve been 22 years here and won so many trophies that if I wanted to play one minute and come off I would have done.
I wanted to play 26 minutes and come off because it meant a lot to me, the shirt number.
“As long as the supporters are happy –- and I’m over the moon with the reception they gave me -– I couldn’t case less,” added Terry, whose life off the pitch has been often controversial.
There is unlikely to be any repeat at Wembley on Saturday when Terry is expected to be a substitute.
However he does plan to lift the trophy with on-field captain Gary Cahill should Chelsea beat Arsenal to clinch a League and Cup ‘Double’ for the second time in their history.
“Hopefully we’ll share that moment,” he said.
I’ve done that before with Frank Lampard when he was vice-captain –- and Gazza (Cahill) has filled that role superbly too.”
As for his own future, Terry remains insistent he has not yet decided whether he will continue playing or opt to retire once the season is over although Premier League sides Bournemouth and Swansea have expressed interest in signing him.
I need to get this game out of the way and finish well,” said Terry
“Then I owe it myself and the family to go away for a week after that and just switch off.
It’s been football, football, football and I need to get away and be clear and know it’s the right thing I’m doing.
“I don’t have long because clubs are going to be making decisions and they are going to want to know.
“But for myself I need a week off.
There’s enough left in the tank 100 per cent, for a year at least.
“But I don’t want to make a knee-jerk decision and regret it at a later date. Everything is an option right now.”
The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!
at 27 if he was good enough new zealand would have capped him by now.
@Paddy Kavanagh: think he is good enough but there’s massive depth in new Zealand. Must be pretty disappointing for home grown English players to see him jump the queue ahead of them all the same.
@Paddy Kavanagh: he was called up to the NZ squad for the autumn tour last year and declined the call up. People seemed to think he was only being called up to stop him declaring for England which was probably the truth.
@Paddy Kavanagh: he won a Super Rugby trophy with he Hurricanes and was later named captain. You have to be fairly good to make those breaks.
@Simon O’Hara: they’re professional rugby players, if they expect to get into the national team as of right ahead of somebody who is better than them they’re in the wrong business.
‘Kiwi born Shields’…em he’s just a Kiwi…this tries to suggest he has lived in England for a period of time or something…
@Frank Reilly: The myth of national blood. Funny how you get so annoyed by the lads who move to Ireland, integrate into their communities and make it their home but not by a lad who’s sole connection is his parents who left England 40 or 50 years ago playing before he even steps foot in the country
@Frank Reilly: you’ve just totally, utterly missed his point and then, inadvertently, proved it. Well done, sir.
@Frank Reilly: It’s not the same thing at all. And that’s why Irish fans were critical of Micheal Bent getting called up for Ireland and why most of them have no issue with Aki, Stander and the likes who moved here and made Ireland their home.
@Frank Reilly: the admirable community integration happens all the time in real life, Irish people are integrated into communities across the world every day, and it has been the case for a long time. Countries and nationalities are not necessary or naturally occurring.
@Frank Reilly: Would community integration happen if rugby was still amateur? Yes it would because that’s what most immigrants do when they move to a new country. And if we’re talking just rugby specifically then go to lots of rugby clubs across the country and you’ll find foreign born players. For instance the Irish Clubs team (all amateurs) had a guy call Paul Tolofua from Naas rugby club playing for them this year. Landsowne have a player called Ntinga Mpiko, Shannon have a player called Ty Chan and I’m sure there are countless more examples. Lots of people move countries for work, security and countless other reasons. Just because Stander moved here to play professional rugby doesn’t make him any different to any other immigrant and should be treated the same
International rugby is losing it’s meaning. We might as well focus on the clubs, cause that’s all the national teams are becoming. Aki Stander Strauss etc all came over with the intention of playing internationally. If Ireland didn’t sign them someone else in Europe would have and they’d have integrated there instead. The whole point of national players is to develop them yourselves, not transfer them in from elsewhere, simply because you’ve more money than their own nation. Shields btw, isn’t as bad as Stander or Aki, because Shields wouldn’t be an all black. Aki would have and Stander would have been a bok. Oh and don’t give me the nonsense about Meyer not liking Stander, OSullivan didn’t like Heaslip either, but he still went on to play for Ireland.
@Eddie Hekenui: well said pal..
@Rudiger McMonihan: international rugby has no intrinsic meaning anyway, it’s a construct. I am happier to call Aki, Stander and (in particular) Necewa fellow countrymen than I am for most people who comment on Journal articles.
@Rudiger McMonihan: I have to totally disagree with you on the idea that international rugby is losing it’s meaning. Back in the day we’d a host of guys in the team who only ever came to Ireland for Internationals and training. Yes they’d Irish “blood” but that was about the extent of their connection. Then you’d guys who’d play a few games for one country then switched to another, the kilted Kiwi’s, the lads with fake Grannies and so on. The system is better now than it’s ever been.
As for Shields not never being an All Black he turned down a call up last November so he got a whole lot closer to being an All Black than Stander ever did get to being a Springbok.
For me the national sporting teams should be reflective of the countries makeup not a false reflection of nationality. Ireland is a nation with lots of immigrants and emmigrants and the national side reflects that. We’ve got lads who are Irish through and through, lads born overseas to Irish families like Marmion and Dillane, lads born to immigrants like Zebo and Van der Flier and lads who moved here to make a better life for themselves and their families like Stander, Aki etc.
@Frank Reilly: Yea there’s people who don’t like it but they’re in the minority
@Eddie Hekenui: it should also also be said, whatever about 3 or 5 years, once you commit you’ve committed for the rest of your career. That’s huge.
@Conor Paddington: Agreed. And that playing for Ireland or any other country isn’t guaranteed. Plenty of players have moved as “project players” and got nowhere near the international teams. The lads who do are generally those that fully invest themselves in their club and the country