Terry nails colours to Chelsea mast with new five-year deal
CAPTAIN John Terry has demonstrated his long-term commitment to Chelsea by putting pen-to-paper on a new lucrative five-year deal.
The deal, reported to be worth £150,000 per week, will keep Terry at Stamford Bridge until 2014 and Blues chiefs are hopeful the 28-year-old will now finish his career in west London.
Crowd favourite Terry has made 276 appearances in 12 seasons at Chelsea and is the club’s most successful captain having led the Blues to two Premier League titles, three FA Cups and two League Cups.
His loyalty, however, was severely tested by interest from Manchester City this summer with the Eastlands club offering Terry, inset, a reported £250,000-a-week wage to join the City revolution in a deal worth an estimated £50m.
But after a period of sustained silence, Terry declared his wish to stay at Stamford Bridge under new boss Carlo Ancelotti and soon he began to negotiate terms to further extend his contract, while at the same time leading the side to a 100 per cent start to the new campaign.
The deal is expected to make Terry the highest earner at the club, overtaking Frank Lampard and Michael Ballack.
A club statement released yesterday read: “Chelsea are delighted to confirm that John Terry has signed a new five-year contract that keeps him at the club until the end of the 2013-14 season.
“This reaffirms both John’s and Chelsea’s long-stated desire for him to be at Stamford Bridge for the rest of his playing career.”