John Terry has signed a one-year extension to his current contract with Chelsea, which will keep him at the club until 2016.
The skipper’s previous contract was due to run out at the end of the season, but with JT being in inspired form this year it seemed like a no-brainer for the club to reward him with this extension.
Having already captained Chelsea to two titles in Mourinho’s first spell in charge at The Bridge, it seems likely that he’ll be adding a third to his list in May, making it four titles since joining the club in 1998. Terry has also won the Champion’s League, the Europa League, five FA Cups and three League Cups during his time with the Blues.
One of those League Cups came just weeks ago, when he captained Chelsea to a 2-0 win over local rivals Tottenham. Mourinho, talking about the contract extension, said, “I am happy that he completely deserves his new contract after a season where he has already played forty games…[The contract] is because John continues to perform. He is a top defender”.
Speaking to Chelsea TV the 34-year-old defender said, “Hopefully there is many more [trophies]…I am delighted to be here and hopefully there could be a few more years after this”.
It was feared that Terry’s best years were behind him when interim manager Rafa Benitez didn’t see him as a first choice defender during an injury hit season in 2012-2013. But since Mourinho returned to Chelsea in 2013 the Chelsea captain has re-found his form.
Having made 661 appearances so far for the Blues, the contract extension means Terry can start to set his sights on the all-time Chelsea appearance record currently held by Ron Harris. Harris played 795 games for the North London club, and Peter Bonetti sits in second place with 729 games under his belt.
Terry would undoubtedly deny that such a personal accolade would mean as much to him as winning more trophies with the club he joined as a 14 year old, but there’s little doubt it would still be a source of immense pride should he finish his career as Chelsea’s leading appearance holder.