John Terry has announced that he will depart Chelsea this summer after 18 seasons with the London side.
Speaking after the Blues' FA Cup victory over the MK Dons on Sunday, the 35-year-old revealed to reporters that the club has decided not to offer him an extension to his contract when it expires at the end of the season.
The club captain confirmed that he would not be calling time on his playing career, however, and is planning to seek a new club overseas.
"To be honest, I was in last week before the Arsenal game and it's not going to be extended. It's my last run in the FA Cup so I want to make it a good one," Terry told reporters.
"It's a big season for me and I want to push on - not just in this competition but in the Premier League as well. I knew before the Arsenal game so mentally I've kind of accepted it. We just have to move on."
He added: "They said that when the new manager comes in, things might change. It's a no at the minute. I needed to know now like I have done every January and sometimes it takes a couple of months to get done.
"Unfortunately it was a no. It's not going to be a fairytale ending, I'm not going to retire at Chelsea. It's going to be elsewhere, which took me a couple of days to get over. But like I say, I knew before the Arsenal game and my performance isn't going to change - the way I train, what I give for the club. I want to give everything and finish on a high, on 100% good terms with the club."
In his time with Chelsea, Terry has won four Premier League titles, five FA Cups, three League Cups, the Champions League and the Europa League. He is also the club's highest-scoring defender, with 66 goals in almost 700 competitive appearances.
Neil Wilkes
