John Terry

26. JOHN TERRY

Central Defender
Born: Barking, England December 7, 1980
Height: 6' 2''
Weight: 175 lbs
Previous Club: Youth Team
International Caps: England
Chelsea Appearances
Chelsea Goals Scored

John Terry has emerged through the ranks at Chelsea to become the club's talisman and skipper.

Sadly for him that talismanic quality escaped him when he missed what would have been the winning penalty when Chelsea lost to Manchester United in the 2008 European Cup Final.

He will surely bear that scar for the rest of his days.

Chelsea finished the season potless for the first time in four years.

Terry also became captain of the England team under the ill-starred Steve McClaren regime.

Commanding in the air, confident on the ball and a constant danger coming up from the back for set-pieces, the Chelsea captain has become the rock around which the club's success has been built.

In 2004/05 the Blues set a Premier League record for clean sheets and the fewest goals conceded, a measure of his influence and organisation skills.

That same season he was named the Professional Footballers' Association Player of the Year.

Terry made his Chelsea debut in October 1998, replacing Dan Petrescu for the final few minutes of the 4-1 League Cup victory over Aston Villa.

Though he only made fleeting appearances in that 1998/99 season he did enough to win the club's Young Player of the Year award.

Terry was loaned to Nottingham Forest in March 2000 to build up his first team experience, turning out six times at the end of the season.

Within a year, then-manager Claudio Ranieri had enough confidence in the player to put him in the team when Frank Leboeuf was injured.

And when the French World Cup winner returned to fitness, he couldn't get back in the team. Terry had done what so few English youngsters had managed at the Bridge and established himself in the team alongside the global stars.

In 2003, he made his belated senior debut as sub against Serbia & Montenegro.

He then made his full senior debut in the 3-1 friendly victory over Croatia at Portman Road in August 2003.

He was named in England's squad for Euro 2004, but a hamstring injury cruelly robbed him of a place in the big opening clash with France. He returned to play in the remaining three fixtures but clearly was not fully fit.

After a fine start to 2004/05 he was handed a new, improved contract to run until the summer of 2009.

And his performances earned him the PFA award and the admiration of fans across the country.

He was also named the 2005 PFA Players' Player of the Year.

Terry was awarded the captaincy of the England team in the summer of 2006 after new coach Steve McClaren had opted to oust David Beckham. Terry earned the job just ahead of Steven Gerrard.

The player's importance to Chelsea was obvious in 2006/07 as they struggled desperately without him after the festive period. A Chelsea team which rarely conceded had now begun to leak goals.

Predictably, the situation improved once he was back in the side.

Terry was announced as Fabio Capello's England captain in August 2007, fighting off a strong challenge from Rio Ferdinand.