John Terry should retire at the end of the 2016/2017 season

After the struggle to get a new contract this season, John Terry must realize that it will only get harder in the 2016/2017 season.

Chelsea FC have a long standing policy of only offering one year contracts to players over the age of 30. In theory, it is a good idea. The club is able to be unburdened by aging players on the decline and is able to reopen squad spots to players who still have their best days ahead of them. In practice, the policy has created a great deal of controversy sparked by the departures of club legends who were either unwilling to take a pay cut or unwilling to only have a commitment of one year.

John Terry is the latest in a long line of legends to have combatted this scenario. And unlike Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard, our captain accepted the lesser pay and even a lesser squad role to stay with Chelsea. But it was not without struggle. Terry had to call on the passion of the fans to light a fire under the Chelsea board and Terry himself had to do some soul searching to decide what he wanted when he received a deal of lesser proportions than he perhaps expected.

It is because of this month-long struggle that John Terry must evaluate his position. If it was so difficult to get a one year extension this season, how much more difficult will getting another next season be? What about the year after that? Surely Terry realizes that if his chances of getting an extension this year were low, his chances next year will be close to zero. That is why John Terry must retire at the end of the 2016/2017 season.

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It should be understood that Terry believes he is still able to compete at the highest level, but he should understand that the writing’s on the wall. He needs only to look at his pal Frank Lampard’s abysmal time in the MLS to see that age catches up with even the best players and sometimes it is best to quit on top, rather than when he is forced to move to a smaller league.

While a lucrative paycheck from the MLS or China may appeal to other players, Terry has never given the vibe that he is driven by money. He is driven by passion and love for Chelsea. The fans have stuck by him during all the highs and lows of his career; does he want to have a different set of fans being the ones saying goodbye when it all comes to an end?

The answer is no, as Terry himself has said many times. He wants to retire at Stamford Bridge. He won’t get another chance to make that dream a reality after next season.

Terry will leave the club not as ash, but as the spark for the torch that shall be carried into the next decade

So John Terry should reveal to the fans, early this upcoming season, that it will not only be his last year for Chelsea, but also his last as a professional player. This will allow the fans not just a few games to say goodbye as we feared we would have this season, but an entire year to thank John Terry for his service to the club.

Even if Terry doesn’t play much this season, he can still help to shape the club from behind the scenes. He will be able to help Antonio Conte during his first season in the Premier League as well as mentor the younger players as they breakthrough.

But most of all, Terry can begin to groom a new captain to succeed him. There are several candidates to take the captain’s armband, but no clear front-runner that deserves to take the armband. This is where Terry and Conte can consolidate ideas and begin to create their own front-runner to lead the squad. Then, at the end of the season, Terry can pass the armband to someone who is without a shadow of a doubt, worthy.

John Terry’s flame has burned brightly for over a decade, but it is now beginning to fade. Terry fought his way towards a new contract, but the battle will be nearly impossible to win again. Now is the time for John Terry to begin to pass the torch.

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He is in a unique position of being a link to a chapter that is coming to a close as a new one begins. He must recognize this position that he is now in and do his best to pass on his knowledge and experience to a new guard that will lead the club for the next saga. And when John Terry retires, he’ll know that he leaves the club not as ash, but as the spark for the torch that shall be carried into the next decade of Chelsea’s success.