Guus Hiddink has judged John Terry’s recent performances to be perfect and insisted the “door is not closed” for the captain to extend his Chelsea career into a 19th senior season despite the player having drawn his own conclusions at the lack of urgency over contract negotiations.
Terry will start Wednesday’s awkward Premier League game at Watford, making his 697th appearance for the club in the process, having spoken at length to Hiddink since opting to reveal he anticipates this being his last campaign at Stamford Bridge. The 35-year-old perceives the club to be waiting to discuss his situation with their new manager in the summer and no new deal is on the table despite Branislav Ivanovic recently being given a 12-month extension.
The centre-half therefore anticipates ending a 21-year association with Chelsea in May and, having entered the last six months of his contract, is free to negotiate with foreign teams and lucrative offers are anticipated from China, the Middle East and, possibly, Major League Soccer. Yet Hiddink has spoken to Terry and is assured his commitment will not waver in the games ahead, with those talks having addressed the thorny issue of when the player’s spell at the club is coming to an end.
Hiddink said: “We spoke about it. For every player or manager, the age comes when you have to say goodbye. You have to ask yourself if that is happening. It’s difficult. At a lower level, I can help him prepare: I had the same experience because I loved the game so much and, when you’re quitting, it’s difficult. My manager told me to step off the pitch when I was 36. Sometimes you don’t see it yourself. I must say John is doing perfectly in his performances, so I’m not suggesting anything, but we spoke about things. He can carry on, of course. He’s fit. His ambition is enough to carry on.”
The interim manager has had that kind of awkward conversation before. “With a few players in clubs and also national teams, where I had to say: ‘It’s time to say goodbye.’ It’s very difficult because those are legends, big players, and stopping hurts a player. Whatever your job is afterwards, if you were so passionate about playing football, whatever you do afterwards is a substitute for what you did and what you love. You can put yourself in the boots of those players.
“Here at Chelsea, you mention Didier Drogba [whose second spell at the club ended last summer], and these are people who have had a huge impact on the pitch. That’s where it has to happen. But, on top of that, they have a presence within the group in the dressing room. [If Terry does leave] it will be a new situation, if it happens. But let’s see what will happen in the short term, and if there are new leaders coming up in the group. Theoretically, no one is irreplaceable. But John has a huge impact: he has had that in recent games and he will do in the upcoming games, both in the dressing room and out on the pitch.”
Hiddink indicated after the 3-3 draw with Everton, when Terry scored an early own-goal only to salvage a point with a stoppage-time equaliser, he would advise the board to retain the centre-back beyond the summer. He has also recommended the influence Terry may have on the coaching staff, particularly in inspiring the next generation of players to emerge from the club’s academy.
He said: “But generally I recommend what I think and people can do as they like. But it’s not a closed door. It was a bit surprising [that Terry chose to announce publicly no offer would be forthcoming] but he’s entitled to do what he did given his contract expires at the end of the season.
“On the other hand, the club still want to have the dialogue and to have an open door still. No specific decision was made yet. You have to see what’s coming up with the transition of the new manager as well. So the door is not shut and dialogue is always possible.”