A year ago, John Terry would have expected to lead his country into the World Cup finals. Headlines off the pitch and a loss of form since have led his very inclusion in the squad for South Africa 2012 to be questioned.

 

The 29 year-old central defender started his club career in West Ham United’s youth ranks but moved across London to Chelsea in 1995. He has since made over 300 first team appearances for the Blues, many as captain, and led them to the English Premier League title in 2005, successfully defending it the following year.

Terry has won the English FA and League Cups with Chelsea and was appointed captain of England in 2006 following David Beckham’s decision to step down after England’s World Cup exit. However, whilst he is at times inspirational on the pitch, scoring as well as preventing goals, he has been dogged by controversy off it and recent unsavoury press reports about his private life led to him being stripped of the England captaincy by new coach Fabio Capello. Whether his presence will inspire or split the squad during the summer remains an unknown but, on form, John Terry is irreplaceable.

You can watch John Terry representing England in South Africa right here on free-football.tv.