John Terry has ensured his lifelong love affair with Chelsea will last at least another year after penning a new one-year contract at Stamford Bridge.
Terry will be able to add to his 703 appearances for the Blues after agreeing terms on a further 12 months, as he enters his 22nd year with the London club.
The news brings to an end several weeks of speculation regarding the 35-year-old’s future, which began in January with revelations that he had not been handed an extension and continued right up until the weekend when Terry revealed he was considering a fresh contract offer.
A club statement on Wednesday confirmed the news that the ex-England skipper had signed.
‘I am delighted to sign a new contract with the club,’ he said. ‘Everyone knows I’m Chelsea through and through.
‘I am looking forward to next season under the new manager and hopefully we can make it a successful one.
‘Also, a special mention to the fans for their continued support. You’re the best in the world.’
It completes a remarkable turn of events since Terry was summoned to Stamford Bridge last week for a meeting with Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia.
The 35-year-old had been resigned to leaving the club he joined from school and had even started to organise his farewell, hiring the pitch for a farewell game and party with family and friends.
His agents had been instructed to assemble a list of options after meetings in January when the club asked Terry to be patient because the next manager would need to have an input.
They told him his future was part of the broader recruitment strategy but Terry was clearly unimpressed, since this had not stopped Gary Cahill and Branislav Ivanovic signing new contracts after Jose Mourinho’s sacking.
