Whether you like it or not, John Terry is possibly the most influential player in Chelsea history.
The Blues centre back has been captain throughout the most successful period in the club’s history, making him the only skipper to see his team crowned champions of Europe.
But the 35-year-old’s haul of 14 major trophies with the Blues (16, if you count Community Shields) hasn’t held off the passage of time, as he has seen his abilities diminish over the last few months.
Once the most assured defender in the league, Terry is not the man he once was and the club know it.
They were happy for their captain’s contract come to an end before fans protested, pressuring Roman Abramovich into offering Terry a deal.
As things stand, it’s not clear whether or not he’ll take up the offer to stay at the club he joined at the age of 14.
But as the players and fans celebrated the end of a largely miserable season following their 1-1 draw with newly-crowned champions Leicester, Terry made an emotional speech, thanking the crowd for their support throughout his career.
https://youtu.be/N4VhaJWTPNg
While the speech was moving and Terry admitted he wanted to retire as a Chelsea player, he made no commitment to signing the deal on the table.
Some saw it as a farewell, while others saw it as proof the England international would be sticking around for one more year.
https://twitter.com/TheM_L_G/status/731880655362002944
John Terry says he wants to stay at Chelsea during on-pitch speech but stops short of saying he is staying.
— Matt Law (@Matt_Law_DT) May 15, 2016
John Terry subtly hinting that he wants a new ten-year contract on the back of his daughter's shirt… pic.twitter.com/hOdPe5ASIM
— Matthew Stanger (@MatthewStanger) May 15, 2016
