Captain. Leader. Pundit.
John Terry was a guest pundit on Sky Sports’ coverage of Everton’s 3-1 win over Swansea City on Monday evening, and was asked to name an all-time Premier League XI following the game.
The Aston Villa defender was not allowed to pick Chelsea players in his team, perhaps because they feared Terry would only choose Chelsea players, and most of his selections were unsurprising. Thierry Henry, Paul Scholes, Steven Gerrard, Cristiano Ronaldo and Ryan Giggs all made the team, as they tend to do any time someone is asked to compile an all-time best ever Premier League team.
However, one inclusion left Jamie Carragher very surprised in the Monday Night Football studio. Here’s Terry’s team, can you spot the name which left the former Liverpool defender dumbfounded?
Yeah, that’s right, Carragher was shocked to see his own name in the team. “Oh behave! You creep,” Carragher joked when Terry started naming his side, saying that he “must be after a job at Sky.”
The Sky Sports pundit made 737 appearances for Liverpool, and was an integral part of the team which won the League Cup, FA Cup and Uefa Cup in 2001, the Champions League in 2005 and fought for the league title. He had an excellent career and is a Liverpool legend, but it’s difficult to argue he should be in an all-time Premier League team, as his surprised reaction to Terry’s team showed.
Terry named David de Gea as goalkeeper, Gary Neville at right-back, Rio Ferdinand beside Carragher in central defence and Patrice Evra at left-back. Ronaldo, Gerrard, Scholes and Giggs are in midfield, with Wayne Rooney partnering Henry up-front.
Terry won five Premier League titles, and made almost five hundred appearances the top flight. He’ll be remembered as one of the best defenders of his generation, but he admitted that playing against Henry was “terrifying.”
“Henry was my most feared striker,” the former Chelsea captain said.
“He was terrifying. He was the best by far, he had everything. He was incredible. He would be the one before games, I’d say, ‘it’s going to be tough tomorrow.’ Nobody else did that.”
