Terry: Chelsea allowed me to achieve boyhood dream

Just a month before John Terry bids an emotional farewell to his beloved Chelsea, the defender has written a heartfelt open letter to Blues fans.

The 36-year-old graduate of the famed Senrab boys football club initially moved to West Ham as an ten-year-old, before heading to Chelsea aged 14.

From then he went on to represent England 78 times and win everything there is to win for Chelsea, become the highest-scoring Premier League defender of all-time and a hero at Stamford Bridge.

After announcing he will finally be leaving West London earlier this week, Terry wrote a personal letter to everyone involved in his career.

“My earliest ambition as a boy was to become a professional footballer and I’m eternally grateful to Chelsea FC, my mum, dad and brother for giving me the opportunity and their total support to fulfill that dream,” he said.

Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images

“From joining as a schoolboy at 14, to signing my first professional contract at 17 and then making my first-team debut in the same year, to then being part of the transformation and evolution of this great football club, has inspired me to keep striving to be the very best I can be.

“With the backing and support of Mr Abramovich, we as players have been given the opportunity to fulfil all our professional desires, as this club moved into a new era where it matched our ambitions and became one of the biggest and most successful clubs in the world.”