John George Terry (born 7 December 1980) is an English professional football coach and former player who played as a centre-back. He was previously captain of Chelsea, the England national team and Aston Villa. Regarded as one of the best defenders in the world at his peak, he is considered to be one of the greatest central defenders of his generation, as well as one of the best English and Premier League defenders ever.[2][3][4][5][6]
Terry was named UEFA Club Defender of the Year in 2005, 2008 and 2009,[7] PFA Players' Player of the Year in 2005,[8] and was included in the FIFPro World XI for five consecutive seasons, from 2005 to 2009.[9][10][11][12] He was also named in the all-star squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, the only English player to make the team.
Terry is Chelsea's most successful captain. During his 19 years with the club,[13][14][15][16] he led them to five Premier League titles, four FA Cups, three League Cups, one UEFA Europa League and one UEFA Champions League title. He is one of five players to have made over 500 appearances for Chelsea and is also the club's all-time highest scoring defender.[17] In 2007, he became the first captain to lift the FA Cup at the new Wembley Stadium in Chelsea's 1–0 win over Manchester United, and also the first player to score an international goal there, scoring a header in England's 1–1 draw with Brazil.[18] In his final season at Chelsea in 2017, he became the first ever player to captain a team to the Premier League title on five occasions.
Following his departure from Chelsea, Terry spent one season with Aston Villa in the Championship before retiring, ultimately losing the 2018 Championship play-off final. He returned to Aston Villa a few months later as assistant manager to Dean Smith. The side went on to win the 2019 Championship play-off final to be promoted back to the Premier League. Terry left the role in July 2021. When Smith joined Leicester City as manager in April 2023, he appointed Terry to his coaching staff once again.
Early life
John George Terry[19] was born on 7 December 1980[20] in Barking, Greater London.[21] He attended Eastbury Comprehensive School[22] and played for local Sunday league team Senrab.[23]
Club career
Chelsea
Early years
As a boy, Terry was part of West Ham United's youth system, joining them as a midfielder in 1991.[24] He moved to Chelsea at 14, playing for the club's youth and reserve teams. It was due to a shortage of central defenders that he was moved to centre-back, the position he played throughout his career. After finishing school, he joined the club on a YTS at age 16 and signed professional terms a year later.[25]
Terry made his Chelsea debut on 28 October 1998 as a late substitute in a League Cup tie with Aston Villa; his first start came later that season in an FA Cup third-round match, a 2–0 win over Oldham Athletic.[26] He spent a brief period on loan with Nottingham Forest in 2000 to build up his first-team experience and was the subject of interest from both Forest manager David Platt and Huddersfield Town manager Steve Bruce.[27][28][29][30]
In 2002, Terry was involved in an altercation with a bouncer at a West London nightclub with Chelsea teammate Jody Morris and Wimbledon's Des Byrne, which led to him being charged with assault and affray. In August 2002, Terry was acquitted of the charges in court.[31] During the affair, he was given a temporary ban from the English national team by The Football Association.[32] Previously, along with Chelsea teammates Frank Lampard, Jody Morris, Eiður Guðjohnsen and former teammate Frank Sinclair, in September 2001 Terry was fined two weeks wages by Chelsea after drunkenly harassing grieving American tourists in the immediate aftermath of the September 11 attacks.[33][34] During his early days at Chelsea, Terry shared a flat with Andrew Crofts.[35]
First-team breakthrough
Terry began to establish himself in the Chelsea first team from the 2000–01 season, making 23 starts and was voted the club's Player of the Year.[36] He continued his progress during 2001–02, becoming a regular in the defence alongside club captain and France international Marcel Desailly. On 5 December 2001, he captained Chelsea for the first time, in a Premier League match against Charlton Athletic.[37] Chelsea reached the FA Cup Final, following wins against London rivals West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur in the fourth and six rounds respectively, and Fulham in the semi-final – where Terry scored the only goal in a 1–0 victory.[38] A virus denied Terry a place in the starting line-up for the final, although he came on as a second-half substitute while Chelsea lost 2–0 to Arsenal.[39] In 2003–04 season, his performances led to him becoming vice-captain by manager Claudio Ranieri when Desailly was out of the team.[40] He played well in the absence of the French international, forming a strong defensive partnership with William Gallas.[41]
Captaincy and successes
Following Desailly's departure, new Chelsea manager José Mourinho chose Terry as his club captain, a choice which was vindicated throughout the 2004–05 season as Chelsea won the Premier League title in record-breaking fashion with the best defensive record in Football League history with the most clean sheets and the most points accrued.[42] He was voted Player of the Year by his fellow professionals in England[8] and scored eight goals, including a late winner against Barcelona, in the UEFA Champions League.[43] He was voted the best defender in the Champions League for the season.[44] In September 2005, he was selected as a member of the World XI at the FIFPro awards. The team was chosen by a vote of professional footballers based in 40 countries.[45]
Chelsea defended their Premier League title in 2005–06, earning 91 points, and confirming the title with a 3–0 victory against Manchester United.[46]
In a match on 14 October 2006 against Reading, Terry had to take over in goal for Chelsea in the final minutes of the match after goalkeepers Petr Čech and Carlo Cudicini were injured and Chelsea had no substitutes remaining.[47] Terry kept a clean sheet as Chelsea held out to win 1–0. On 5 November 2006, playing against Tottenham Hotspur, Terry was sent off for the first time in his Chelsea career after receiving two yellow cards as the Blues lost at White Hart Lane for the first time since 1987.[48] Terry was charged with misconduct by the FA for questioning the integrity of match referee Graham Poll after the match.[49] On 10 January 2007, Terry was ordered to pay £10,000 for the inappropriate conduct after he changed his mind and pleaded guilty to the FA.[50]
In the 2006–07 season, Terry missed matches for Chelsea due to a recurring back problem. On 26 December 2006, José Mourinho stated that his captain might require surgery to fix the problem. In Terry's absence Chelsea drew 2–2 at home to both Reading and Fulham over Christmas, draws that were to prove crucial in the destiny of the Premier League title for that season.[51] On 28 December, Chelsea released a press statement saying Terry had had back surgery: "The operation to remove a sequestrated lumbar intervertebral disc was successful."[52] Although he was expected to return in the match against Wigan Athletic, which Chelsea won 3–2 thanks to a late goal from winger Arjen Robben,[53] Terry was missing once again, due to the recurring back problem.[54] He made his return in Chelsea's 1–0 victory over Charlton Athletic on 3 February 2007 coming on in the 88th minute for Claude Makelele.[55] Terry played his first 90 minutes of football for nearly three months in Chelsea's 3–0 victory over Middlesbrough and received much applause from the Chelsea faithful. Didier Drogba scored two goals for Chelsea in that match, while the other goal came courtesy of an own goal from Abel Xavier of Middlesbrough.[56]
Playing in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 away against Porto, he suffered another injury, this time to his ankle, and was set to miss the 2007 League Cup Final against Arsenal, but managed to recover from the injury within days and played in the final. During the second half of the match, at an attacking corner, he threw himself at the ball with a diving header; Arsenal's Abou Diaby, in an attempt to clear the ball, kicked Terry in the face. Terry was unconscious for several minutes, at which point he nearly swallowed his tongue. He was carried off the field on a stretcher and immediately transferred to the University Hospital of Wales. Terry discharged himself the same day and returned to the Millennium Stadium to celebrate his team's 2–1 win. The only recollection he had of the second half is walking out onto the pitch and he did not remember the ten minutes he played prior to his injury.[57] He went on to lead Chelsea to the semi-final of the UEFA Champions League, the third time in four years that Chelsea had made it to the final four of the competition.[58] In May 2007, Terry captained Chelsea in the 2007 FA Cup Final, in the first FA Cup final at the new Wembley Stadium.[59]
Despite failing to agree terms to a new contract immediately following 2006–07, Terry stated on several occasions that he had no intention of leaving Chelsea. In late July, he signed a new five-year contract with a base salary of between £131,000[60] and £135,000[61] per week, making him the highest-paid player in the Premier League at the time.[61]
On 16 December 2007, whilst playing against Arsenal, while going to clear a ball Terry's foot was stepped on by Emmanuel Eboué and Terry had suffered 3 broken bones in his foot.[62] He was expected to be out for at least three months but made a speedy recovery and managed to captain Chelsea to the 2008 League Cup Final against Tottenham, which Chelsea lost 2–1.[63][64] On 11 May 2008, whilst playing in the last league match of the season against Bolton, he collided with goalkeeper Petr Čech and suffered a partially dislocated elbow, which was eventually put back into place en route to the hospital.[65] This injury did not prevent him playing in the 2008 UEFA Champions League Final against Manchester United.[66] The match went to penalties, and Terry missed a penalty which would have won Chelsea the match (and the Champions League).[67] His standing leg slipped as he took his kick, and the ball missed the goal.[68] Chelsea lost the shootout 6–5, which Terry reacted to by breaking down in tears.[69] On 28 August 2008, Terry was awarded the Defender of The Year award from UEFA at the Champions League group stage draw in Monaco, together with Frank Lampard and Petr Čech, who received the award for their respective positions.[70]
On 13 September 2008, Terry received the first straight red card of his career against Manchester City for rugby-tackling Jô. However, this was later rescinded on appeal.[71] Despite being a defender, he occasionally scored important goals for Chelsea, such as in the Champions League Group A home match against Roma.[72] However, Chelsea went on to lose the away leg 3–1.[73]
Double and Champions League
In July 2009, Manchester City made a third bid for Terry, but Chelsea coach Carlo Ancelotti insisted Terry would remain at Chelsea.[74] He made his debut for the new season against Premier League team Hull City, a match Chelsea won.[75] On 8 November 2009, Terry scored the decisive goal in Chelsea's match against Manchester United at Stamford Bridge to preserve their perfect home record for the season.[76]
On 9 May 2010, Terry captained Chelsea as they won their fourth Premier League title after an 8–0 win against Wigan Athletic at Stamford Bridge.[77] A week later, on 15 May 2010, Terry captained Chelsea as he won his fourth FA Cup medal, defeating Portsmouth in the final by 1–0 at Wembley Stadium.[78]
On 31 December 2011, in a home match against Aston Villa, Terry captained the Chelsea team for the 400th time of his career, a record for the club.[79]
Terry was the world's third best passer in 2011 for players with over 1,000 passes, with a 91.6% pass accuracy rate. Only Barcelona player Xavi (93.0%) and Swansea City player Leon Britton (93.3%) were better.[80]
On 24 April 2012, Terry was sent off for violent conduct after driving a knee into Barcelona's Alexis Sánchez in an off-the-ball incident in the 2011–12 UEFA Champions League semi-final at the Camp Nou. Chelsea's 3–2 aggregate victory over the holders qualified them for the final against Bayern Munich, for which Terry would be suspended. Terry later apologised for letting his teammates and Chelsea fans down.[81] Terry scored his sixth league goal of the season, seventh in all competitions, in the final match of the season, a 2–1 victory over already-relegated Blackburn. The goal meant that it was Terry's most prolific season and he told the Chelsea website, "I am delighted with seven... It's always good to end a league season with a win."[82]
Even though Terry was suspended for the Champions League Final, along with teammates Ramires, Branislav Ivanović and Raul Meireles,[83] he took part in celebrations at the final whistle after Chelsea triumphed 4–3 on penalty kicks, with striker Didier Drogba netting the decisive penalty.[84]