I Salute You John Terry
[1]After the surprising but eventually inevitable announcement this week that John Terry is to leave Chelsea, it got me thinking. He’s the last one of this generation who came through the ranks at his original club and unless things dramatically change it isn’t going to happen anytime soon, if it does it will be in the minority.
Ironically Terry is a player, who now with all probability wouldn’t even have got to where he has. As players are now so highly vetted with coaches and scouts obsessed with finding the next big thing. The problem is there’s no thinking outside the box, framework must be met: Power, Pace,
Athleticism and Technique are all “buzz” words. Players like Terry would have been cut off even before academy stage as would the likes of the Carragher’s and Neville’s. Terry had none of these key things that clubs now crave, No he was a man’s man, chest out, leader of men defender who would put his body on the line as if it was more than a game of football. Character, dedication and the fact a player might develop late are almost forgotten.
It’s a dog eat dog world for young players coming through the ranks and they know it, there’s fighting for the team on the field, but off it every boy for themselves.
Even when players do “make the grade “commonly it’s not at one club. Ross Barkley and Harry Kane are the anomaly and there’s no guarantee they will play their whole career at these clubs , you could argue it’s unlikely , of the team that plays for England at Euro 2016 its more than likely not more than two will be “Home-grown” player in the starting line-up new superstars like Sterling, Ali and Stones all plucked from lower league clubs who after developing them had no choice but to let go for a relative pittance .
Terry’s effort and dedication were never in question and no doubt he will pay his last few months on the field in this country with the same warrior spirit he has throughout. We should all enjoy it because we may never see one like him again, for your career
[2]Posted by Richard Warman
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