Chelsea FC’s John Terry Will Not Return to England Squad

Chelsea FC center back and captain John Terry has been playing some of his best football in recent memory this year. He has regained his starting position since losing it last year under interim manager Rafael Benitez and has formed a partnership with Gary Cahill to to help form the best defense in the Premier League. It is precisely this connection with Cahill that has England supporters pushing for Terry’s return to the Three Lions. Cahill currently partners with Everton’s Phil Jagielka who is nowhere near the player Terry is.

After being asked about Terry’s potential return, England manager Roy Hodgson responded with the following:

"“John [Terry] retired a long time ago right at the very start of our qualifying campaign. We have played nine games without him. We have qualified without losing a game. So I think it is time for us to keep moving forward and not every time we lose a game start to turn back and turn back to someone who has been a fantastic player in the past.”"

Terry was stripped of the England captaincy after he was convicted of racially abusing QPR’s Anton Ferdinand and he then decided to officially retire from international football. Terry himself seems content with the decision and some pundits believe the extra rest and lack of stress from the national team have helped the center back return to his best football.

John Terry is 33 years old, not exactly ancient for a center back whose game never depended on pace, and he still has several years left in the tank. He has made 78 appearances for England and served as the team’s captain for six long years. He is still England’s best option in defense but there is far too much negative history for him to return at this point.

The Wayne Bridge scandal and racial abuse conviction have made him a far too controversial figure to join his countrymen in Brazil. The England team will be under enough pressure as it is without Terry’s involvement. In addition, if Terry does sign a one year extension with Chelsea, many fans of the club would much rather see Terry resting during the summer holiday than playing and risking injury for an England squad with no realistic chance of winning the competition.

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