7 of John Terry's Most Iconic Moments in Chelsea Colours
Chelsea Football Club announced on Monday that Blues veteran and cult
hero John Terry will leave the club at the end of the 2016-17 Premier
League season, ending a glittering era for the iconic number 26 at
Stamford Bridge. In light of this striking revelation, we're taking a moment to reminisce
upon the the finest memorable moments (in no real particular order of
significance) the man the fans dubbed 'Mr. Chelsea' had whilst donning
the famous blue jersey, after 19 captivating seasons.
1. That Header Against Barcelona in 2005
After
a humbling 2-1 defeat at the hands of Barcelona in the Champions League
round of 16 first-leg clash at the ever imposing Camp Nou, Chelsea
seemingly had their backs against the wall come the second-leg at
Stamford Bridge.
With just 15 minutes
left of play in the second showdown between the two clubs - with the tie
dangling in the Catalans' favour due to away goal ruling despite
Chelsea leading 3-2 - the Blues won themselves a corner.
Step-up Captain
Fantastic. Damien Duff swung a ball deep into the danger area, and Terry
sprung higher than any opponent to slam the ball past Victor Valdes
with a pulsating header.
It ended 4-2 on the
night, and 5-4 on aggregate, meaning Chelsea only just shaved the
encounter to progress to the last 8. Terry ultimately dumped Ronaldinho
and co. out of the competition.
2. Winning the Premier League Title in the 2004-05 Season
The
2004-05 Premier League campaign belonged to the Blues, and the title
was indeed theirs for the first time in 50 long, arduous years.
The feat was completed
in resounding fashion, as Chelsea smashed the points tally with a
remarkable total of 95 being chalked by the end of the historic season.
It was Jose 'The Special
One' Mourinho's first league title at Chelsea, although with Terry
bearing the captain's armband throughout the season, you could put the
domestic success widely down to his sheer passion and drive whilst on
the pitch.
It was certainly a significant moment for Terry, as he began to embark upon a pioneering career as a true leader for the Blues.
3. The 'Full Kit' Scenario
Chelsea
beat German giants Bayern Munich in their own back yard in the
Champions League final back in 2012. The tensely contested tie went to
penalties, and the Blues snatched the famous trophy from the Bavarian's
clutches by winning the shootout with 4 conversions to Bayern's 3.
Terry, who was suspended
for the final itself, was still part of his club's celebratory brigade,
and despite his absence from participation, took it upon himself to
clad himself in a full Chelsea home strip.
Being a man that
embodies everything that Chelsea is fundamentally about, though, it was
more than appropriate on a stage which he described as being one of the
'greatest' of his career.
4. Being the First Captain to Lift the FA Cup at the 'New' Wembley
Chelsea were in-fact the last club to win the world famous FA Cup trophy beneath the twin towers of the 'old' Wembley in 1997.
Although a decade later
under the arch of the newly redeveloped Wembley, Chelsea found
themselves becoming the inaugural club to lift the trophy at the new
home of English football.
Didier Drogba won the
final for the Blues thanks to his solitary goal in a 1-0 victory against
Manchester United. Although it will be Terry which would go down as the
first captain to walk the 107 step ascent towards the Royal Box to hold
the famous cup aloft.
5. Claiming a League and FA Cup Double in 2010
History
was made once again for Terry and his colleagues in 2010 when Chelsea
managed to acquire the Premier League title and the FA Cup within the
same season, resulting in an emphatic double.
No captain in Chelsea's
broad history has ever managed to achieve such an illustrious honour,
and Terry is still the most recent English skipper to have done so at
any club in the top-flight.
6. Being Brutally Booted in the Face by Abou Diaby in 2007 Carling Cup Final
Amongst
a strong array of personal accolades, cast your mind back to the moment
the enigmatic skipper was accidentally forced into an unconscious state
by Arsenal's Abou Diaby.
During the Blues 2-1
Carling Cup triumph over Arsene Wenger's Gunners, Terry was left
struggling for breath after swallowing his tongue as a result from a
kick to the face from the French midfielder.
The England
international was left sprawled out on the Millennium Stadium's turf,
and needed 5 minutes of urgent medical attention. Needless to say, it
was undoubtedly a shuddering instance for everyone to watch.
After a short time in hospital, Terry was omitted, and that in itself stands as testament to his underlying tenacity.
7. Being Named Club Captain in 2004
With
former Chelsea skipper Marcel Desailly leaving the Bridge in the summer
of 2004, Jose Mourinho was left with a conundrum within his squad.
This is when Terry was
appointed as the club's first-team captain, and the dream of leading his
club towards virtually every single club distinction available became a
sudden reality for the legendary centre-half, who was just 24 at the
time.
The fabled defender -
who began his career at the club at the tender age of 14 - could finally
commence upon an esteemed progression with Chelsea as the club's
undisputed commander on the pitch. There'll never be another one like
him.
POSTED BY:OPUOMONI PRIYE
DATE:04/17/2017
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