Terry assured of key role after signing new Chelsea deal
Chelsea captain John Terry has been reassured by Blues directors that he will remain a key figure at the club despite his advancing years after signing a new 12-month contract.
Terry, 35, has had to accept an increasingly peripheral role as injuries and age have caught up with the former England skipper, and looked destined set to leave Stamford Bridge this summer.
He admitted during a tearful speech after Sunday’s final Premier League match that a Chelsea career that has spanned 18 years and included more than 700 first-team appearances might finally be over.
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But the club’s latest offer and talks with incoming manager Antonio Conte prompted a change of heart from the 35-year-old, and Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia insists he is still a major asset.
She said: “We look forward to another year with John at the club, and believe he will be an important figure in the dressing room and on the pitch as we look to bring success back to the club next season.”
Terry, who joined the club as a 14-year-old, said he was “Chelsea through and through”, adding: “I am looking forward to next season under the new manager and hopefully we can make it a successful one.”
The centre-back made 32 starts in all competitions this season, down by 17 on last year, and it might have been fewer still but for a serious injury that has ruled out Kurt Zouma since February.
Chelsea, meanwhile, are tipped to clinch a blockbusting £60m-a-year kit deal with Nike that would be second only to Manchester United’s £75m per season agreement with Adidas in the top flight.