John Terry to quit Stamford Bridge

Chelsea captain John Terry will leave the club at the end of the 2015-16 season, with the Blues having opted against extending his contract.

John Terry

Terry, who made his debut with the Stamford Bridge club in 1998, will not be given a new deal by the club and will leave when his current terms expire at the end of the campaign.

In a statement released by the defender following the Blues’ FA Cup win over MK Dons, Terry said: “To be honest, I was in last week before the Arsenal game and it’s [the contract] not going to be extended.

“It’s my last run in the FA Cup so I want to make it a good one. 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.

“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 per cent good terms with the club.”

The 35-year-old, who also captained England, has a long list of honours with Chelsea, winning four Premier League titles, the most recent of which came last season, as well as four FA Cup winner’s medals and the Champions League, in 2012.

But the current campaign has been an unhappy one for the Stamford Bridge club, with Jose Mourinho sacked as manager in December following a collapse in form, leaving the Blues in the bottom half of the Premier League.

Interim manager Guus Hiddink has managed to steady the ship, illustrated by Sunday’s 5-1 FA Cup win over MK Dons, but the Blues will now have to deal with the loss of their longstanding captain, who will continue his career elsewhere.