UNRELENTING EFFORTS OF THE BLUE`S SKIPPER AT 500TH APPEARANCE. It was a great moment, not only for John Terry who made his 500th appearance as Chelsea captain on Saturday when he led his team-mates out at Selhurst Park to face Crystal Palace; but to every blues fans and supporters.This, after all, is a player who has won, nearly everything there is to win at club level and he has done it all with the club he joined as a 14-year-old in 1995. His moments in Stamford Bridge becomes more glamorous especially in an era when very few players hardly manage to make up to even 200 appearances for a single club, let alone as captain. Therefore, Terry’s personal milestone confirms his legendary status at Chelsea and in the English game. JT as he is fondly called has often divided opinion throughout his career, with his life off the pitch often leading to criticism of him on it. Though this has not weighed him down in any way, rather endeared him to his fans as a player of considerable class who should be looked upon as being among the finest of his generation. Terry has won it all in football. He has captained Chelsea to three Premier League titles, four FA Cups, two League Cups and was essential in his team’s path to glory in their 2012 Champions League success, followed up a year later with the Europa League. His pace, though, has often been seen as a major weakness, but such is Terry’s commanding presence and reading of the game, he has rarely left himself isolated where opponents have exploited him. Generally, when we reflect on defenders, his ability is never in doubt. In the same vein, when captains are discussed, his reputation is strengthened the more. Chelsea’s history would be replete, though, without some glamorous names and winners who have worn the armband, leading the club into battle. In the very early days, there was the significant figure of Willie “Fatty” Foulke who was later followed by the likes of Roy Bentley, Ken Armstrong and Terry Venables—all stars of their era. Then there was also Ron Harris, a man still known as Chopper along the King’s Road despite his retirement more than 30 years ago. Worthy of mention are the likes of Dennis Wise, Colin Pates and Ray Wilkins - all enjoyed different forms of success that were equally vital to Chelsea’s history. “The saying has always been that when the going gets tough, the tough gets going.” In the words of Harris,“John’s always been in the thick of things, putting himself about and leading from the front. What more can you say about the fella?”Harris was the first captain to win the FA Cup with Chelsea when he led the club to victory over Leeds United in 1970. A year later, Chelsea beat Real Madrid to lift the European Cup Winners’ Cup with Chopper as captain. He remains a respected figure to this day, and when he speaks, people often listen.“I can’t speak highly enough of John and everything he has done for Chelsea Football Club,” he continued.“It’s a proud moment for me to see him making his 500th appearance as captain. Like me, he has come through the ranks and gone on to captain the club to win major honours. Jose Mourinho didn’t take long to notice those leadership qualities, and when appointed manager in 2004, he made Terry his captain. It says a lot that Mourinho built his new team around Terry. With the financial clout of Roman Abramovich behind him, Mourinho could have turned to a more experienced name, but he chose Terry. And he never let him down.Indeed, Terry has never let Chelsea down. There have been moments when his behaviour has put an unwanted spotlight on the club, but throughout his 10 years as captain, his influence has been significant. He celebrated in grand -style later that evening after 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace, when he posted a picture of the captains armband he wore during the game; wrapped around a bottle of 1988 Sassicaia on his Instagram page. Thus appreciating his supporters and fans! And that’s the mark of John Terry: captain, leader, legend.
Posted on: Sun, 19 Oct 2014 21:40:00 +0000
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