John Terry - the highs and lows

17 April 2017 17:39

John Terry will leave Chelsea at the end of the season after more than two decades at the club.

Here, Press Association Sport looks back at some of the highs and lows of the 36-year-old's eventful career so far:

HIGH - Makes Chelsea debut against Aston Villa in October 1998.

LOW - Is one of four players fined two weeks' wages by Chelsea after their behaviour at a Heathrow hotel is criticised on the day after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

LOW - In 2002, Terry and Chelsea team-mate Jody Morris are cleared after being charged with assault and affray in connection with a nightclub incident. Terry, uncapped at the time, is ruled out of the World Cup by the Football Association until the legal case is completed.

HIGH - Makes England debut as substitute against Serbia & Montenegro in June 2003.

HIGH - Appointed Chelsea captain as the successor to Marcel Desailly in August 2004.

HIGH - Succeeds David Beckham as England captain in August 2006.

LOW - Misses crucial kick in a penalty shoot-out to decide the 2008 Champions League final against Manchester United, who go on to lift the trophy.

LOW - In December 2009, Chelsea are forced to defend Terry after allegations he took secret cash payments to lay on a behind-the-scenes tour of the club's training ground.

LOW - In January 2010, Terry is named as the sportsman behind a gagging injunction involving his private life. A court order had previously been in place, covering an alleged relationship between married Terry and French model Vanessa Perroncel, a former partner of team-mate Wayne Bridge.

LOW - Is axed as England captain in February following a meeting with Fabio Capello.

LOW - Bridge refuses to shake Terry's hand before Chelsea's match with Manchester City in February 2010.

HIGH - Is restored to the role of permanent England captain by Capello in March 2011.

LOW - In October 2011, Terry is accused of making a racist slur against Anton Ferdinand during Chelsea's defeat at QPR. A police investigation is launched which culminates in the Crown Prosecution Service announcing that charges would be brought. In February 2012, West London Magistrates' Court rules that Terry should stand trial in the week beginning July 9.

LOW - Terry is stripped of the England captaincy for a second time on February 3. The decision was taken by members of the 14-strong FA board, without consulting Capello. Capello resigns as England manager on February 8, two days after criticising the decision to strip Terry of the captaincy.

HIGH - Terry captains Chelsea to a 1-0 victory over Barcelona in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final encounter at Stamford Bridge on April 18.

LOW - A week later, Chelsea's hopes in the second leg at the Nou Camp are hit when Terry is shown a straight red card for inexplicably kneeing Alexis Sanchez from behind in the first half, ruling him out of the final.

HIGH - Is cleared at Westminster Magistrates' Court on July 13 of making a racist insult to Ferdinand, but two weeks later is charged by the FA with using racist language towards the QPR defender. Terry denies the charge and requests a personal hearing.

LOW - Announces his retirement from international football on September 23, shortly before the start of his personal hearing to answer the FA charge.

LOW - Banned for four matches and fined £220,000 by an FA independent regulatory commission.

LOW - FA reveals written reasons behind independent commission's ruling, insisting Terry's racist language towards Ferdinand was used as an insult and finding ''no credible basis'' for his defence that he was only repeating words he believed the QPR defender said to him.

LOW - Makes just 14 appearances in Chelsea's 2012/13 Premier League campaign - his lowest total in 13 seasons - leading to suggestions he could be on his way out of the Blues.

HIGH - Resurgent under Jose Mourinho in the Portuguese's second spell at Stamford Bridge, Terry plays every minute of Chelsea's 2014/15 Premier League title triumph, earning himself a new one-year deal.

LOW - Is one of the players criticised for Chelsea's dismal start to the title defence and suffers the ignominy of being substituted for the first time in 177 games by Mourinho at half-time in the 3-0 loss to Manchester City in August 2015.

LOW - Despite being a first-team regular under Mourinho and his replacement Guus Hiddink, Terry announces in January 2016 he will not be offered a new deal with Chelsea (although he ends up signing a new one-year deal come May).

Source: PA