Terry’s contribution to the club on the field is known to many. However, in recent years, he has worked to uplift the club and also supported its future projects.
John Terry is a legend of football, not merely for Chelsea supporters but also for the entire football fraternity. He redefined the art of defending, not just by tackling or pushing but by throwing his body on the line to save a goal or two. He literally gave his sweat and blood – remember how he threw his head to intercept a ball but was kicked in the face by Abou Diaby? That day, he bled on the pitch for Chelsea and was taken off in an unconscious state.
In 2017, John Terry left the club after 26 years as a player. However, Chelsea never left his heart, as he continued to work for the betterment of the club. In the following paragraphs, let us look at his contributions.
The Chelsea Graves Society is an organisation dedicated to finding the graves of all players who donned the Chelsea crest since the club’s inception in 1905. The organisation aims to find the resting place of all the former players who passed away in a bid to give them a fitting tribute. However, the process is neither easy nor economical. For the last two years, the organisation has been depending on the funds from Chelsea fans.
After learning about the noble cause, earlier this February, John Terry stepped in and made a hefty donation to the cause. “We can’t thank John enough. He learned of our work through social media and just stepped up to the plate and put his hand in his pocket. We were incredibly touched. This really cements his reputation as a club legend,” said CGS founder Nathan Whitehouse.
As of February 2023, the resting places of 256 players have been mapped out by the organisation.
John Terry has also been in the news about acquiring a stake in Chelsea. The club, as we know, was recently purchased by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital for 2.5 billion euros with additional commitments of 1.75 billion euros. The former player hopes to be instrumental with his monetary power which will help the club with its future projects, such as upgrading the club’s training grounds, infrastructure, and even the stadium.
As of now, John Terry is working on the development of Chelsea youth players, hoping to find some homegrown talent. This move will help Chelsea save tonnes of moolah rather than spend it to get their hands on players from outside. After all, in the past year, we have witnessed the downfall of Chelsea despite spending without any regret.
🗣 "I kept setting targets and kept hitting them. I want to play for Chelsea. I wanted to captain Chelsea."
— The Coaches' Voice (@CoachesVoice) July 15, 2019
John Terry discusses the development of youth footballers, saying that some of them are far too comfortable with reaching the fringes of the first-team. pic.twitter.com/ZJLnoBqO1R
Earlier, there were reports that Terry could move to the Saudi Pro League as the manager of one of the teams. However, the Chelsea legend declined the move in a bid to focus on Chelsea’s youth system. While a majority of fans have rooted for Terry to lead Chelsea as a gaffer, the former defender seems to be more interested in taking care of the youth system because he knows how a sound youth system can change the fortunes of any club.
Last but not least, John Terry also stepped in for his boyhood club named Senrab, donating an undisclosed but substantial amount because the club was going through a financial crisis.
