John Terry

Chelsea

1991–1998: Early years

As a boy, Terry was part of West Ham United's youth system, joining them as a midfielder in 1991. He moved to Chelsea at 14, playing for the club's youth and reserve teams. It was due to a shortage of central defenders that he was moved to centre-back, the position he played throughout his career. After finishing school, he joined the club on a YTS at age 16 and signed professional terms a year later.

1998–2000: First appearances

Terry made his Chelsea debut on 28 October 1998 as a late substitute in a League Cup tie with Aston Villa; his first start came later that season in an FA Cup third-round match, a 2–0 win over Oldham Athletic.

2000: Loan to Nottingham Forest

Terry spent a brief period on loan with Nottingham Forest in 2000 to build up his first-team experience and was the subject of interest from both Forest manager David Platt and Huddersfield Town manager Steve Bruce.

2000–2002: First-team breakthrough

In 2002, Terry was involved in an altercation with a bouncer at a West London nightclub with Chelsea teammate Jody Morris and Wimbledon's Des Byrne, which led to him being charged with assault and affray. In August 2002, Terry was acquitted of the charges in court. During the affair, he was given a temporary ban from the English national team by The Football Association. Previously, along with Chelsea teammates Frank Lampard, Jody Morris, Eiður Guðjohnsen and former teammate Frank…

Terry made his England debut in June 2003 against Serbia and Montenegro, and started his first match for England on 20 August 2003 at Portman Road, Ipswich, in a friendly against Croatia. England won 3–1. His main central defensive partner had been Rio Ferdinand. He played for his country at Euro 2004, and England manager Sven-Göran Eriksson stated that Terry was the first-choice centre-back, ahead of Sol Campbell. In 2005 during a FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Poland, Terry wore England's captain armband, replacing Michael Owen as captain after the latter was substituted. He cemented his place in the England squad after being selected for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. In a warm-up match for that tournament against Hungary on 30 May 2006, Terry scored his first goal for England, the team's second in a 3–1 victory. Despite an injury scare in a friendly against Jamaica, he recovered to play in England's opening fixture against Paraguay, a 1–0 victory. In the next match against Trinidad and Tobago, Carlos Edwards beat England's Paul Robinson to a cross and as Stern John bundled a header towards the goal, Terry cleared the ball off the line with an overhead kick. In the quarter-final match against Portugal, Terry played the entire match, but England lost on penalties and he was left in tears with his fellow players. Six days later, he was the only English player to be named in the tournament's all-star squad. On 10 August 2006, Steve McClaren named John Terry as the England…

Described by ESPN as a "commanding, no-nonsense style of player", Terry was recognized for his physicality and aggressive defending style, though some critics noted that he struggled against quicker forwards. He usually played as a centre-back, although he initially started out playing as a midfielder in his youth. A tall defender, he excelled in the air, which enabled him to defend crosses and high balls effectively, and also made him a goal threat for his team in the opposing penalty area, despite his defensive playing role. Although he was primarily known for his aggressive tackling, he was also an intelligent player, who was recognised by pundits for his positioning and anticipation, as well as his ability to read the game, which compensated for his lack of pace or athleticism, in particular in his later career; he also stood out for his leadership and bravery throughout his career, as well as his ability organise the back–line. Despite not being a particularly fast player, however, in particular over short distances, Samuel Eto'o once described Terry as being "surprisingly quick", while in his youth, a 2003 match report from an international friendly against Croatia described "speed and tackling ability" as his strengths, while instead citing his reading of the game and ability to defend set pieces in the air as areas in need of improvement. Regarded as one of the best defenders in the world at his peak, he is considered to be one of the greatest central defenders of…

John George Terry was born on 7 December 1980 in Barking, Greater London. He attended Eastbury Comprehensive School and played for local Sunday league team Senrab.