John Terry admits he hasn't been fully fit for five years
Chelsea captain John Terry, who once said he could handle a lifetime in a wheelchair if it meant achieving glory on the pitch, has had a change of heart and admits that it's been about five years since he last felt fully fit.
Terry spoke with the Daily Mail and, when asked about the last time he felt fit before a game, was quoted as saying,
"The last time I played fit? Maybe five years, maybe more, I can't really remember."
Terry has recently been sidelined with a nerve problem and is looking at a lengthy layoff. He had been taking injections ahead of games recently, but the injuries he's sustained have begun to catch up with him and he has begun to seek treatment for
the problem.
"If you can take an anti-inflammatory and struggle through, you do," Terry said. "The pain from this injury is the worst I have had, there is no way I can continue."
Terry made his wheelchair comment ahead of Chelsea's 2008 Champions League final, which saw Terry miss a crucial penalty in the shootout, and has since been quoted as having a different perspective on his future when his time with the game is over.
"I'm 30 next month and I've got to start looking after myself," he continued.
"It's funny, I was reading what I said about ending up in a wheelchair the other day and I thought to myself, 'You know mate, that's probably not your best plan'. I'd rather play with my kids in the garden, thank you
very much. I hope people will appreciate that.
"I'd like to rethink the wheelchair idea, please."
Terry has made over 300 appearances for Chelsea since 1998 – the only club he's ever played for aside from a short loan spell with Nottingham Forest – and he's been the captain since 2004.
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