If yesterday’s defeat against Manchester United wasn’t worse enough news for a true Chelsea fan, today’s announcement of veteran centre-back John Terry’s time at the club coming to an end is certainly not a step up from that.
Chelsea have officially announced that the Blues’ captain, leader, legend John Terry will be leaving Stamford Bridge at the end of the season on a mutual agreement.
Terry has given the club and the fans two decades of world-class service that hasn’t gone a day by without us showing him the greatest of gratitude for what he has achieved and what he has done to help the club come all the way here where we currently stand.
The former England national team skipper, who made his Chelsea debut in 1998, is the club’s third-highest played player with staggering 713 outings in the Blue shirt, captaining his side 578 times and scoring as many as 66 goals to his name.
‘JT’ has helped the club achieve several major trophies – 14 to be completely accurate - and they include winning the Champions League, four Premier League titles (with one more possibly on its way), Europa League, three League Cup trophies and five FA Cup trophies (with one, yet again, possibly on its way).
As his 22 years at Chelsea Football Club, the 36-year-old Terry has spoke about his time at the club on the club’s official website:
“After 22 years there is so much to say and so many people to thank at this great football club. From coaches, team-mates and staff to the fans who have given me so much support down the years, I can’t thank you enough. There will be opportunities for me to speak further about this over the coming weeks.
I will decide on my future in due course, but for now I am committed to helping the team achieve success this season.
The club and I have always had a fantastic relationship, which will continue beyond my playing days. We had some really positive talks but with everything taken into careful consideration I have decided it’s the right time for me to leave. I’ve always been conscious that I depart at the right time, in the right way, and I feel that the end of this season is the right time for the club and I. I feel I still have plenty to offer on the pitch but understand that opportunities here at Chelsea will be limited for me. I’m eager to carry on playing and so will be looking to continue with a new challenge. I will of course always be a Blue and am desperate to end my final season as a Chelsea player with more silverware.
Finally, words cannot describe the love I have for our football club and our amazing Chelsea fans. I would like to thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart for the unbelievable support you’ve shown me over the years. You mean the world to me and every trophy we’ve won during my time at the club we’ve won together. I will never forget the incredible journey we’ve been on. Thank you so much for everything.”
– John Terry, Chelsea’s official website
Terry has also won plenty of personal accolades during his time at the club, such as stinging the most clean-sheets in the Premier League as a defender, scoring the most Premier League goals as a defender and wearing the captain’s armband more often than anyone else in the Premier League.
https://twitter.com/CFCNewsApp/status/849230229843390464
We will all be vastly grateful for what John Terry has achieved for this club, and it’s only a matter of time once he’ll be back in a slightly more advanced role. End of an era. Legend. True Blue.
