John Terry at 500: Top 25 Chelsea Moments and Accomplishments for Blues Skipper
On the occasion of John Terry’s 500th match as Chelsea captain, against Crystal Palace on Saturday, we thought we’d look back at the defender’s finest moments and accomplishments for the club.
There’s no shortage of them.
This, after all, is a player who has won well near everything there is to win at club level, and he’s done it all with the club he joined as a 14-year-old in 1995.
Following are 25 memories from JT’s Chelsea career to date.
25. Brace in Derby Against Fulham
1 of 25Terry bagged a brace in Chelsea’s 3-0 win over London rivals Fulham in April 2013.
Despite playing just 27 matches in all competitions during the 2012-13 campaign, the defender found the back of the net six times.
24. Becomes Highest-Paid Premier League Player
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In July 2007, Chelsea underlined Terry’s importance to the club when they made him the best-paid player in Premier League history.
Under the terms of the deal, as outlined by The Guardian, Terry received £135,000 per week and remained at the top of the money chart until teammate Frank Lampard surpassed him.
23. Playing Goalkeeper vs. Reading
3 of 25On October 14, 2006, Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech went down injured in a match against Reading, as did replacement Carlo Cudicini.
It fell to Terry to take over between the sticks, and he wound up keeping a clean sheet (even though he didn’t face a single shot).
22. 1st Match as Chelsea Captain
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Terry rose to prominence during the four-year tenure of former Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri, and it was under the Italian that he wore the captain’s armband for the first time.
The honour was bestowed upon him for a December 2001 match against Charlton Athletic.
21. FA Cup Semi-Final Winner
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Terry has often had a flair for the dramatic, and in April 2002, he scored the only goal of Chelsea’s FA Cup semi-final win over Fulham.
The goal came just before the interval at Villa Park.
20. 50th Chelsea Goal
6 of 25Terry scored his 50th goal for Chelsea at home to Liverpool on November 11, 2012.
19. Captains Chelsea for 400th Time
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Terry has been building to his 500th match as Chelsea captain for some time.
He reached the 400-match mark against Aston Villa on New Year’s Eve, 2011.
18. 1st Chelsea Goal
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John Terry has scored nearly 60 goals for Chelsea, but his first came on February 20, 2000.
It was the third in a 5-0 rout of Gillingham in the sixth round of the FA Cup.
17. 1st Chelsea Start
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Terry made seven appearances during the 1998-99 season—three of them in the FA Cup.
And it was in that competition, against Oldham, that he made his first start for Chelsea
16. 1st Chelsea Appearance
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It was on October 28, 1998 that Terry made his first senior appearance for Chelsea.
He was introduced as a substitute by manager Ruud Gullit in the League Cup against Aston Villa.
15. Chelsea Player of the Year
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Before he was named permanent captain, and just a year after his loan spell at Nottingham Forest, Terry was named Chelsea Player of the Year for the 2000-01 season.
14. 2008-09 FA Cup Winner
12 of 25A five-time FA Cup winner, Terry lifted the trophy a third time in 2009 following a 2-1 win over Everton.
Following Louis Saha’s early goal for the Toffees, Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard responded with goals for Chelsea.
13. 2011-12 FA Cup Winner
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Terry’s most recent FA Cup success came in 2012, when Chelsea beat Liverpool 2-1 in an entertaining final.
Ramires and Didier Drogba scored for the Blues, and Andy Carroll notched a consolation marker for the Reds.
12. 2009-10 FA Cup Winner
14 of 25Chelsea won a league and cup double in 2010, which they capped with a 1-0 win over Portsmouth at Wembley.
Terry started alongside Alex in the centre of defense for the Blues, and Didier Drogba scored the game’s only goal in the 59th minute.
11. 2007-08 Champions League Best Defender
15 of 25Terry’s enduring memory of the 2008 Champions League final is no doubt his missed penalty against eventual winners Manchester United.
But his displays throughout the competition earned him the accolade of Best Defender at the 2008-09 Group Stage Draw.
10. 2004-05 Champions League Best Defender
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Chelsea finished top of Group H in the 2004-05 Champions League group stage and progressed all the way to the semi-final round, where they were eliminated by Liverpool.
But Terry had made enough of an impression throughout the competition that he was named Best Defender at the next season’s Group Stage Draw.
9. 2006-07 FA Cup Winner
17 of 25Chelsea relinquished the title to Manchester United in 2007, but they got a measure of revenge on the Red Devils when they beat them 1-0 in that spring’s FA Cup final.
Terry started alongside Michael Essien in the centre of defense at Wembley, and Didier Drogba scored the winner in extra time.
8. League Cup Final Miracle
18 of 25Terry picked up an ankle injury against Porto in the 2006-07 Champions League, and the knock should have ruled him out of that season’s League Cup final against Arsenal.
But the Chelsea skipper miraculously returned to the pitch after a matter of days to contest the match, although in the course of it, he received a kick in the face from Gunners midfielder Abou Diaby.
Taken to hospital after being rendered unconscious, he returned to the Millennium Stadium to celebrate the Blues’ 2-1 win with his teammates.
7. Named Permanent Chelsea Captain
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Although he had worn the armband before, Terry was named permanent Chelsea captain upon Jose Mourinho’s arrival at the club in 2004.
A decade on, the defender and manager are working together once again. Under Terry and Mourinho, Chelsea are top of the table and looking good for glory this year.
6. 2009-10 Premier League Champion
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Chelsea regained the Premier League trophy after Manchester United’s three-year hold on it in the spring of 2010.
Terry played all but one of the Blues’ league matches that season as he and his teammates pipped United to the title by a single point.
5. 2004-05 PFA Player of the Year
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Terry’s lone PFA Player of the Year award came in 2005 at the end of a campaign that would see him win both the League Cup and Premier League.
He played a career-high 53 matches in all competitions that season and scored eight goals.
4. 2005-06 Premier League Champion
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Chelsea defended their 2004-05 Premier League title by cantering to the championship the following season.
Terry & Co. lost only five matches in 2005-06 and finished eight points above Manchester United in the standings.
The defender contributed four Premier League goals.
3. Winning Goal vs. Barcelona
23 of 25Terry has had numerous run-ins with Barcelona over the years, but his standout performance in 2005 deserves a mention.
Following Chelsea’s 2-1 defeat at Camp Nou in the first leg of their round-of-16 tie, the Blues returned to Stamford Bridge and recorded the necessary 4-2 win required to advance.
Ronaldinho scored both goals for the Catalans in the match, but Terry popped up with the winner for the Blues.
2. 2004-05 Premier League Champion
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The template that would mark out Chelsea as a perennial contender was set during the 2004-05 season, in which the Blues won their first title in 50 years.
Terry, who would be named PFA Player of the Year for his work that campaign, was a relatively young, championship-winning captain at just 24 years of age, but under Jose Mourinho’s guidance, he played like a defender mature beyond his years.
1. 2011-12 European Champion
25 of 25Terry was heroic in the first leg of Chelsea’s 2011-12 Champions League semi-final against Barcelona—a 1-0 win for the Blues.
But in the return match at Camp Nou, he got himself sent off in what would be a heroic 2-2 draw that put Chelsea into the final.
Suspended for the match, the Chelsea captain was nevertheless crowned European champion following his side’s successive win on penalties, and he was sure to take to the pitch to celebrate the triumph with his teammates.
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