CHELSEA SKIPPER SIGNS OFF IN GLORIOUS STYLE
CHELSEA captain John Terry says he will wait a few weeks before deciding where his future lies after bringing down the curtain on his Stamford Bridge career with the Premier League crown.
Terry’s 22-year association with Chelsea will end after the FA Cup final next weekend, and he received an early send-off in the Premier League champions’ 5-1 win over Sunderland yesterday in the final round of fixtures.
Terry left the pitch in the 26th minute – the number he wears on his shirt – to a standing ovation and a guard of honour. The 36-year-old was visibly emotional when he came off and when he addressed the fans after Chelsea were presented with the Premier League trophy at the end of a season in which he has made just nine appearances. Asked by Sky Sports if the idea for him to come off in the 26th minute was planned, Terry replied: “I did discuss it with the manager.
“I kind of negotiated with him to play 26 minutes and come off, it was more important for the players that are probably going to play the cup final that they get their legs sharpened up again before that game. It was a compromise between the two of us, it’s been brilliant.”
In the other matches, second-placed Tottenham finished on a high with a 7-1 rout of Hull, Manchester City crushed Watford 5-0 to secure third, Manchester United edged Crystal Palace 2-0 and Liverpool locked in fourth spot above Arsenal with a 3-0 victory over Middlesbrough.