John Terry Discusses Latest Status on New Chelsea Contract

John Terry will leave his future in the hands of Jose Mourinho but admits he hopes to impress enough this season to earn a new contract at Chelsea.

Terry is enjoying something of a career renaissance under Mourinho, who has restored the centre-back as Chelsea’s lynchpin in defence.

However, Neil McLeman of the Daily Mirror reports that Terry has less than a year left on his current deal and is hoping injuries or loss of form don’t prevent him extending his stay:

"

For me, it’s about playing. That’s the most important thing. That takes care of itself (the contract).

The manager was honest with me at the start of the season: You play well and stay fit, you’re in the side.

If I get injured, everything’s up in the air. We don’t really know. But now I’m playing well.

Hopefully everything else takes care of itself.

"

There is little doubt Terry has reinstated himself as the most integral part of Chelsea’s defence this season, losing only one of the nine games he has started in all competitions, per ESPNFC.

He was an unused substitute in Chelsea’s worst result of the campaign to date—the home defeat to Basel—and also played only eight minutes of their Super Cup loss to Bayern Munich.

David Luiz continues to infuriate Jose Mourinho with crazy errors like the one committed in their last outing against Cardiff, while Gary Cahill looks the more suitable foil to Terry’s authoritative style.

At 32 years of age, it is questionable whether Terry’s best years are behind him, while his fitness must remain a concern after spending long periods on the sidelines last season.

However, there is no doubt the organisation and cohesiveness of the Chelsea back four is vastly superior when the former England man plays. Terry credits Mourinho with restoring the faith lost under previous boss Rafael Benitez.

McLeman provides the quotes:

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He (Mourinho) came in and laid the law down, saying, "Listen. It’s pretty simple. You play well, you’re in the side. If not, you won’t play."

When I was playing well last year, scoring, I didn’t maintain my place as well. So it was quite frustrating.

But the manager’s been great for me. He’s very honest with us, as individuals and collectively. My career is where it is because of this man sitting next to me.

"

Mourinho’s one note of caution should be Terry’s advancing years.

At Manchester United, Rio Ferdinand is showing signs of decline this term, aged 35, so Chelsea need to introduce a long-term replacement to the squad.

By handing Terry a new contract, which he surely will, Mourinho can buy himself time to give a new defender—perhaps the heavily linked Eliaquim Mangala—a year to bed in before taking the reins from Chelsea’s skipper.