When Chelsea defender John Terry eventually hangs up his boots, he will be remembered, on the football pitch at least, as one of the best centre-backs England has ever produced.
Off-the-field matters have somewhat blighted public opinion of the veteran, but he has led Chelsea to three Premier League titles, four FA Cups and one Champions League since 2004. And he may have a fourth Premier League title in his trophy cabinet come the end of the season.
But where did it all begin? Well, it was on this day 1980 that John George Terry was born in Barking, London to Ted and Sue Terry. Terry represented local Sunday League side Senrab in his youth – a team that featured the likes of Sol Campbell, Jermain Defoe, Bobby Zamora and Ledley King. Some side that must have been.
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West Ham United came calling in 1991 after spotting Terry's talent, but the youngster joined Chelsea at the age of 14 – initially as a midfielder. Moved to a defender due to a shortage at centre-back, Terry made his debut in October 1998, but did not become a first-team regular at Stamford Bridge until the 2000-01 season.
It did not take long for the powers that be to recognise Terry's leadership and the defender was first handed the captaincy by Claudio Ranieri in the 2003-04 season, when Marcel Desailly was out of the side.
Terry took the armband on a full-time basis in the 2004-05 season, when a certain Jose Mourinho took charge and the rest, as they say, is history. Terry's first league title came in that season, while he also lifted the trophy as captain in 2006 and 2010.
Four FA Cups followed, in addition to the Champions League title, when the Premier League club famously beat Bayern Munich in 2012 to claim the trophy, which made up for Terry's penalty miss against English rivals Manchester United in the dramatic 2008 final.
Up until this point, Terry is also one of just five players to have made over 500 appearances for Chelsea and is currently the club's highest scoring defender having netted an unbelievable 57 goals.
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Terry also skippered his country from August 2006 until February 2010, and again from March 2011 to February 2012. In total, he gained 78 caps for England, but the latter stages of his international career were marred by allegations of racial abuse towards former Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand.
He was selected for Euro 2012 ahead of Anton's brother Rio Ferdinand, and the Chelsea defender played 90 minutes in all four of his country's matches at the competition. It all ended in September 2012, however, when the experienced centre-back announced his retirement from international football.
The defender has also been recognised by his fellow professionals on a number of occasions. He was named in the FIFPro World XI for five consecutive seasons from 2005, and also named the UEFA Club Defender of the Year in 2005, 2008 and 2009.
Now 34, Terry is not getting any younger, but he is still at the forefront of a Chelsea team that seems destined to win more trophies.
Matt Law
