John Terry

Early life

John George Terry was born on 7 December 1980 in Barking, Greater London. He attended Eastbury Comprehensive School and played for local Sunday league team Senrab.

Club career

Chelsea

As a boy, Terry was part of West Ham United's youth system, joining them as a midfielder in 1991. 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.

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.

Terry 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.

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. During the affair, he was given a temporary ban from the English national team by The Football Association. 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. During his early days at Chelsea, Terry shared a flat with Andrew Crofts.

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. 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. 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. 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. In 2003–04 season, his performances led to him becoming vice-captain by manager Claudio Ranieri when Desailly was out of the team. He played well in the absence of the French international, forming a strong defensive partnership with William Gallas.

Aston Villa

On 3 July 2017, Terry signed a one-year contract with Championship club Aston Villa on a free transfer. He was appointed as the captain for the 2017–18 season. He made his debut for Aston Villa on 5 August 2017 in a 1–1 home draw with Hull City in the Championship. Terry scored his only goal for Aston Villa in a 2–1 victory over Fulham in the Championship on 21 October.

On 30 May 2018, Terry left Aston Villa after the club failed to gain promotion to the Premier League as they lost 1–0 against Fulham in the Championship play-off final.

In September 2018, Terry underwent a medical with Spartak Moscow, but declined their offer of a contract, citing family reasons. He announced his retirement from playing on 7 October.

International career

Terry made his England debut in June 2003 against Serbia and Montenegro, and started his first match for England on 20 August 2003 at Portman Road, Ipswich, in a friendly against Croatia. England won 3–1. His main central defensive partner had been Rio Ferdinand. He played for his country at Euro 2004, and England manager Sven-Göran Eriksson stated that Terry was the first-choice centre-back, ahead of Sol Campbell.

In 2005 during a FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Poland, Terry wore England's captain armband, replacing Michael Owen as captain after the latter was substituted.

He cemented his place in the England squad after being selected for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. In a warm-up match for that tournament against Hungary on 30 May 2006, Terry scored his first goal for England, the team's second in a 3–1 victory. Despite an injury scare in a friendly against Jamaica, he recovered to play in England's opening fixture against Paraguay, a 1–0 victory. In the next match against Trinidad and Tobago, Carlos Edwards beat England's Paul Robinson to a cross and as Stern John bundled a header towards the goal, Terry cleared the ball off the line with an overhead kick. In the quarter-final match against Portugal, Terry played the entire match, but England lost on penalties and he was left in tears with his fellow players. Six days later, he was the only English player to be named in the tournament's all-star squad.

On 10 August 2006, Steve McClaren named John Terry as the England captain, succeeding David Beckham. McClaren said, "Choosing a captain is one of the most important decisions a coach has to make. I'm certain I've got the right man in John Terry. I'm convinced he will prove to be one of the best captains England has ever had." Terry scored a goal on his debut as the England captain, in a friendly international against Greece. This was the first goal of the match and also the first goal during McClaren's reign as manager. However, with Terry as captain, England did not qualify for UEFA Euro 2008 – their first absence from a tournament finals since the 1994 FIFA World Cup. Midway through the qualification campaign, Terry had accepted that he would "bear full responsibility" should England fail to qualify.

On 1 June 2007, Terry became the first player in the senior England team to score an international goal at the new Wembley Stadium when he scored England's goal from a header in the box after a free kick cross by David Beckham in a 1–1 draw with Brazil. Almost a year later, he scored a similar headed goal once again from a free kick cross by David Beckham to put England 1–0 up against the United States on 28 May 2008.

Style of play

Described by ESPN as a "commanding, no-nonsense style of player", Terry was recognized for his physicality and aggressive defending style, though some critics noted that he struggled against quicker forwards. He usually played as a centre-back, although he initially started out playing as a midfielder in his youth. A tall defender, he excelled in the air, which enabled him to defend crosses and high balls effectively, and also made him a goal threat for his team in the opposing penalty area, despite his defensive playing role. Although he was primarily known for his aggressive tackling, he was also an intelligent player, who was recognised by pundits for his positioning and anticipation, as well as his ability to read the game, which compensated for his lack of pace or athleticism, in particular in his later career; he also stood out for his leadership and bravery throughout his career, as well as his ability organise the back–line. Despite not being a particularly fast player, however, in particular over short distances, Samuel Eto'o once described Terry as being "surprisingly quick", while in his youth, a 2003 match report from an international friendly against Croatia described "speed and tackling ability" as his strengths, while instead citing his reading of the game and ability to defend set pieces in the air as areas in need of improvement. 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.

Despite the praise he received in the media for his defensive skills, critical opinion on Terry's technical ability was frequently divided; throughout his career, he was often paired with an intelligent, more technical and more mobile ball–playing centre-back, such as Ricardo Carvalho at Chelsea or Rio Ferdinand with England, which complemented Terry's more physical playing style as a "stopper", and also provided cover for him, as his lack of pace saw him struggle at times in teams that played a high defensive line. While some pundits, such as Chris Wright of ESPN or Robin Bairner and Sulmaan Ahmad of Goal, have cited Terry's technique as a weakness, with Tom Sheen of The Independent also noting that his general reputation for lacking speed or elegance in possession and his reluctance to carry the ball out from the back saw him perceived as "a bit of a plodder when on the ball," others, such as Jamie Carragher and Jamie Redknapp, have instead argued that his ability on the ball and composure in possession was an underrated aspect of his game, which did not get as much attention as his tactical sense. During one of Terry's final matches for Chelsea, in a 2017 article for The Guardian, Barney Ronay noted that "Terry lined up at the heart of the central defensive three," and described him as: "A little heavier, clanking about like an eager old tin man, he still has an excellent touch although, had he played much deeper in the second half, he might have been best served bringing out a shovel and digging a trench in front of his own goal." In 2009, UEFA.com praised Terry for his ability to control the ball with his chest. Moreover, although Terry's passing was initially cited as being in need of improvement in his early career, his distribution throughout his career was also generally solid and reliable, which often saw him complete many passes throughout the course of a season with a high success rate, although he usually favoured making simpler short passes on the ground; Michael Cox described his distribution as "underrated" in 2015, however, while Redknapp and Carragher have both noted that Terry was also capable of playing long balls with either foot, despite being naturally right–footed, a trait which Sam Wallace and Tom Sheen of The Independent also noticed in 2011 and 2014 respectively, with the latter describing Terry as "an exceptionally two-footed footballer," who "will show off a range of passing with either foot." As Sheen notes, Terry's ability with either foot often allowed him to play as a left–sided centre-back in a four–man defensive line throughout his career. In 2011, Terry was the world's third best passer 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. He also played in a three–man back–line on occasion, in particular in his later career under Chelsea manager Antonio Conte, although he struggled to adapt to this formation due to his lack of pace as a result of his advancing age. Terry has been involved in multiple incidents that received significant media attention, including legal disputes and on-pitch altercations.

Coaching career

Aston Villa

On 10 October 2018, Terry was appointed assistant head coach of Aston Villa, with newly appointed Dean Smith as head coach. On 26 July 2021, Terry departed Aston Villa after three years at the club, in which they achieved promotion to, and consolidated their position in the Premier League. He described Dean Smith as a great influence on his coaching career. In December 2021, his return to Chelsea, commencing in January 2022 in a coaching consultancy role was announced.

Leicester City

Following the announcement of Dean Smith as the new Leicester City manager on 10 April 2023, Terry was appointed to his coaching staff once again.

Chelsea

In July 2023, Terry returned to Chelsea as the club's Academy coach.

Sponsorship

On the UK version of Pro Evolution Soccer 6, Terry appears on the front cover with Brazil international Adriano.

Family and personal life

Terry is married to his childhood sweetheart Toni (née Poole). On 18 May 2006, Terry and Toni had twins, a boy and a girl. They married at Blenheim Palace in June 2007.

Terry was a Manchester United supporter growing up. His older brother, Paul (born 1979), is a former professional footballer, having played for Dagenham & Redbridge and Yeovil Town. Terry's nephew, Frankie, is currently a professional footballer for Colchester United.

In 2016, Terry paid the £1,600 funeral costs for an eight-year-old Chelsea fan with leukaemia who died after an unsuccessful bone marrow transplantation.

Terry co-owns custom swimwear company Thomas Royall with fellow footballers Sam Saunders and Liam Ridgewell.

Legal issues

In September 2001, Terry and three teammates were fined two weeks' wages by Chelsea for an incident involving American tourists at a Heathrow airport bar in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks. In January 2002, Terry, Chelsea teammate Jody Morris and Des Byrne of Wimbledon were charged with assault and affray after a confrontation with a nightclub bouncer. Terry was banned from selection for the England team for the duration of the case, though he was ultimately cleared of all charges. In 2009, Terry was investigated by Chelsea and the FA for allegedly taking money from an undercover reporter for a private tour of Chelsea's training ground. The club responded that it was "confident that at no time did Terry ask for or accept money in relation to visits to the training ground."

In January 2010, a super-injunction was imposed by a High Court judge preventing the media from reporting allegations that Terry had had a four-month affair in late 2009 with Vanessa Perroncel, the former girlfriend of Wayne Bridge, his former Chelsea and England teammate. The injunction was lifted a week later, and the British media – especially the tabloid press – covered the rumours in great detail in the days following. The News of the World and the Mail on Sunday subsequently printed apologies to Perroncel for breaching her privacy and stated that the story was "untrue in any case". Perroncel maintains that the alleged affair never took place. The allegations led to then-England manager Fabio Capello removing Terry from the captaincy on 5 February 2010, replacing him with Rio Ferdinand. Terry was reinstated as captain the following year.

On 27 February 2010, Terry played against Bridge for the first time since the incident, where in a highly publicised incident prior to the match, Bridge refused to shake hands with Terry.

In November 2011, Terry was placed under police investigation following an allegation of racist abuse made at Anton Ferdinand during a match between Chelsea and Queens Park Rangers on 23 October 2011. Video footage circulated on the internet led to accusations that Terry called Ferdinand a "fucking black cunt." In response to the video footage, Terry claimed that he was actually asking Ferdinand, "Oi, Anton, do you think I called you a black cunt?" On 21 December 2011, he was charged with using racist language by the Crown Prosecution Service. In February 2012, the Football Association stripped Terry of his England captaincy for the second time, stating that Terry would not captain the national team until the racial abuse allegations against him were resolved. When the trial began in July 2012, Terry entered a not guilty plea and was acquitted of the charge on 13 July 2012.

In popular culture

Terry has been represented in a meme which pictures him taking part in great moments in history and fiction, following his decision to come on to the pitch to lift the European Cup in full kit despite being suspended for the 2012 UEFA Champions League final; he repeated this when Chelsea won the 2013 UEFA Europa League final, in which he did not play due to injury. These included the fall of the Berlin Wall, the freeing of Nelson Mandela and the triumph of Rocky Balboa. Over the summer of 2012 this developed into his celebrating current sporting achievements such as 2012 Summer Olympics medal wins by Team GB.

Political views

Terry has expressed support on multiple occasions for the MP Rupert Lowe, of the far-right party Restore Britain, posting on social media in support of Lowe's call for a national ban on wearing of the burqa and the deportation of migrants who are unable to financially support themselves.

Career statistics

International

England score listed first, score column indicates score after each Terry goal

Honours

Chelsea

Premier League: 2004–05, 2005–06, 2009–10, 2014–15, 2016–17

FA Cup: 1999–2000, 2006–07, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2011–12; runner-up: 2001–02, 2016–17

Football League Cup: 2004–05, 2006–07, 2014–15; runner-up: 2007–08

FA Community Shield: 2005, 2009

UEFA Champions League: 2011–12; runner-up: 2007–08

UEFA Europa League: 2012–13

Individual

Chelsea Player of the Year: 2000–01, 2005–06

Premier League Player of the Month: January 2005

Alan Hardaker Trophy: 2005, 2015

PFA Players' Player of the Year: 2004–05

PFA Team of the Year: 2003–04 Premier League, 2004–05 Premier League, 2005–06 Premier League, 2014–15 Premier League

FIFA FIFPro World XI: 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09

ESM Team of the Year: 2004–05, 2008–09, 2009–10

UEFA Club Defender of the Year: 2005, 2008, 2009

UEFA Team of the Year: 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009

FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 2006