But following Terry’s revelation, Chelsea have issued a statement hinting that the door may still be open for the 35-year-old to sign a new deal at the club.
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Terry has announced he is leaving the club he joined at the age of 14 after they opted not to offer him a new contract.
“From all the stuff that came out [in the Reuters report] I would say that I want to be at the club – I signed a four-year contract a couple of months ago, so that shows I want to be here”.
“He was the symbol of cohesion inside Chelsea’s club because him, Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba and Cech were the players who carried the club’s values for long periods”.
The Telegraph reported that Terry dropped the bomb on Chelsea officials before the team’s 1-0 victory over Arsenal on January 24, saying that “it’s not going to be a fairytale ending, I’m not going to retire at Chelsea”.
“I am very surprised – I didn’t know”, Zouma told the Evening Standard. “Ideally I would have loved to stay, but the club’s moving in a different direction”.
He also played 78 times for England, scoring six goals.
“John Terry’s been a tremendous servant, he’s been outstanding for the last 15 or 20 years for Chelsea, and he deserves better”. “I couldn’t play for another Premier League club”.
Our Landlord at the Transfer Tavern though does have some good news for Chelsea fans, reported by The Daily Mail.
“I can not say in a precise way [if he deserves a new deal] because I’ve not seen all the games this season”, Zola added”.
“He’s not what you normally see in a 35- or 36-year-old player, that you feel you are getting a bit slower and can not accept you’re in a danger zone for red cards etc. There is none of that for John”.
Speaking ahead of tomorrow’s Barclays Premier League game against Watford at Vicarage Road, the Chelsea manager responded to questions related to the captain’s contract situation. He is one of Chelsea’s greatest ever players, certainly one of the most inspirational and charismatic. I couldn’t play for another Premier League club. “It’ll just be elsewhere”.
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Due to a load of injuries, Vermaelen started just eight Premier League matches between his final season at Arsenal and his first at Barcelona.
