John Terry has little desire to leave Chelsea, even after his playing days conclude. He praised Roman Abramovich for keeping Blues legends involved as club ambassadors.
John Terry will inevitably spend the majority of his football career – playing and, eventually, management – at Chelsea. Even if he takes a few years away to hone his coaching, he will never be far from Stamford Bridge. Club owner Roman Abramovich will likely ensure that Terry is always involved – even if not employed – at Chelsea by making him a club ambassador.
Terry spoke to the importance of these ceremonial roles as he celebrated the opening of a film about former Chelsea player Kerry Dixon. Dixon is Chelsea’s third all-time leading scorer, and regularly works with Chelsea TV and at Stamford Bridge’s match day hospitality.
"It’s still great to see him around the club. It is great that, under Roman, figure heads are welcomed back to the football club. – Evening Standard"
Dixon attributes some of his enduring popularity to his nine years with Chelsea. He recognized that fans hold a special place in their heart for loyal and committed players, even if they are not truly “one-club men.”
"I spent nine years at the club and maybe that also had something to do with why the fans relate to me. When you look at people who devote the majority of their playing lives to one club they will often have a special relationship with their fans."
Kerry Dixon knows that it is a two-way street between players and fans, particularly after retirement. Dixon struggled with substance abuse and violence after retiring. This strained his relationship with the fans and the club as recently as 2015. Chelsea nearly severed ties with him as a result of his most recent criminal charges. He discusses these issues at length in his 2016 autobiography, Up Front, which was the basis for the film.
Chelsea’s newest “formal” ambassador is Carlo Cudicini. The former goalkeeper returned to the club as both a representative and as an assistant to Antonio Conte. Frank Lampard supposedly turned down an ambassador role until he finishes working on his coaching badges.
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Chelsea’s success over the last 15 years is due in large part to long-serving players like Lampard, Didier Drogba, Petr Cech and John Terry. Roman Abramovich clearly recognizes their role in delivering him trophies, and their importance to keeping Blues fans happy. Even if it is simply a cold business decision, Abramovich is still doing the right thing for his club.