London (AFP) – Chelsea icon John Terry scored in what is likely to be his penultimate game for the newly-crowned champions and suggested unless a good offer came along he might retire after Sunday’s final Premier League match.
The 36-year-old — who has spent 22 years at the club winning 15 trophies including this season’s title — opened the scoring in the 4-3 win over Watford at Stamford Bridge his 67th goal in 716 appearances for the Blues.
Terry, who hadn’t started a league game since September 11 last year, slightly blotted his copybook in handing their opponents the equaliser sixty seconds later.
Terry has been linked with a move to Premier League side Bournemouth whilst Swansea manager Paul Clement who worked with the former England defender at Chelsea has also declared an interest, but he intimated to Sky Sports he had not yet had an offer that might persuade him to keep on playing.
“I still haven’t ruled out Sunday being my last game and retiring,” said Terry, who announced in mid-April he would be leaving the club.
“It depends if the right offer comes along I will sit down and consider it with my family — whether that’s here, abroad, or wherever that may be.
“Genuinely I haven’t made any decisions of yet and I’m evaluating all my options at the moment.”
Terry, who has captained Chelsea on a record 579 occasions, said he had never intended in trying to prevent younger talent from breaking through whilst he blocked their way.
“I never wanted to be that player that was kind of hanging about, stopping the younger players from coming through,” said Terry, who is unlikely to make the starting line-up for the FA Cup final against Arsenal on May 27th.
However, Terry, capped 78 times by England, admitted Sunday’s home game against relegated Sunderland — where a win would see Chelsea become the first Premier League champions to win 30 games in a 38 match campaign.
“It’s going to be tough. Tonight was tough but next week I’m going to be in bits,” said Terry.
Terry, whose achievements on the pitch were often marred by his behaviour off it, told the BBC his defensive blunder in letting Etienne Capoue make it 1-1 should serve as a lesson to young children.
“It was a crazy minute. I got on the scoresheet and a minute later made a mistake and let him (Capoue) in. Mixed emotions,” said Terry.
“I’m delighted to get on the scoresheet. But any young kid watching, if in doubt get it out. That’s what I should have done.”
