Chelsea FC skipper John Terry is apparently playing some of his best football now that he is 34-years-old. The Englishman opened the scoring against Stoke City on Monday with a header off a Cesc Fabregas corner, helping the Blues to a 2-0 victory.
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A goal is sometimes considered a bonus for a defender, and Terry has scored quite a few since his debut for the Blues in 1998. Monday’s goal puts him only three behind David Unsworth — who holds the record of most Premier League goals scored by a defender, with 38.
Terry now has 35 league goals to his name, and has scored in 15 consecutive Premier League seasons, but that’s not why the club pays him so handsomely. He is a defender first and foremost, and at his age, he still stands head and shoulders above most — if not all — defenders in the league right now.
The skipper has been a constant in the squad since Jose Mourinho returned, the manager has hinted that the club will reward him (Terry) with another contract extension — which would be a very wise move as they simply cannot afford to let him go.
Sure he has his foibles; from costly slip-ups, to extra-marital affairs, to racism rows — you name it, but he still remains one of the most important players in the squad. The partnership he has formed with Gary Cahill is near impenetrable, and he has certainly masked his younger counterpart’s errors with his excellent performances.
While age has had an obvious impact, the statistics show that Terry is better at 34 than he was at 24. During Chelsea’s 2004/2005 title-winning season, the defender made 1.75 tackles, and won 75 percent of them. He was involved in 3.78 duels, and won 72 percent, while making 0.94 fouls.
This season, after 17 games, he has made 1.18 tackles, and won 80 percent of them. Out of 5.06 duels, he came out on top 80 percent of the time, while only committing 0.18 fouls per game.
These stats clearly show that — up till this point in the campaign — Terry is actually playing better than he was 10 years ago. He made more tackles back then, but he is winning more of them at present.
"“I’ve been written off since I was 29 or 30 so I’m kind of used to it. As players you hit 30 and everybody says you’re finished, that it’s the end and it’s time for the youngsters to get their chance, so it’s important for me to look after myself and remain fit.”-John TerrySource: Chelsea FC Official Website"
As good of a defender as he is, Terry is getting plenty of help from someone a little further up the pitch. The center back probably has Serbian midfielder Nemanja Matic to thank for making his workload a hell of a a lot easier.
Matic — who despite the arrivals of Diego Costa and Fabregas, might be Chelsea’s Player of the Season — is doing it all for the Blues. He protects the back four with ease, and supports the offense when needed. He may very well prolong Terry’s Chelsea career if he remains at the club, and the defender may already know that.
After yesterdays game, he stressed on the importance of Matic to the Chelsea FC website.
"“He’s been different class; when myself and Gary have got him in front of us he breaks the play up and he’s got a great burst of speed in him which opens defenses up.”“He sits there and wins every header, every tackle, he breaks the play when we get caught on the counter and he’s been a revelation for us this year.”-John TerrySource: Chelsea FC Official Website"
Chelsea’s “Captain, Leader and Legend” still has a lot to offer, and with the form he’s in, he will definitely be offered an extension at the end of the season. After seeing another club legend in Frank Lampard suit up in Manchester City’s colors, it would be remiss of Chelsea if they were to let Terry play anywhere else.