Terry to continue playing after leaving Chelsea

John Terry has confirmed that he will not be hanging up his playing boots, after leaving Chelsea.

The defender bid farewell to Stamford Bridge on Sunday, after 22 years service to the Blues.

But after Sunday’s FA Cup final against Arsenal and a family holiday, Terry’s thoughts will turn to his next chapter of his career.

The Blues legend, 36, said: “I need to take a step back away from the bubble and say, ‘What does John Terry want to do?’

“Once you stop, that’s it. I have put in a few calls to ex-players, Jamie Carragher, Lamps [Frank Lampard]. Everyone says, ‘Play as long as you can.’

“I never want to be that player who says, ‘I wish I’d played a couple more years.’ You can’t replace these moments. When I went out to play against Watford last week, the smell of the grass where it had rained and it was a little bit zippy – all of those things you take for granted over the years. They are the things you are going to miss.

“It’s those muddy pitches. They’re all much better now, but that feeling ­walking out – you can’t replace that. Being a boss is probably the second best thing, and [punditry on] the TV is the third best thing, but you can’t replace those ­butterflies before you play. I love everything.

“Listen, we’re lucky we’re Chelsea, wherever we go in the world we stay in top hotels. Even that you can’t ­complain about.

“Missing out on certain things in my kids’ childhood has been hard. Birthdays, big occasions, missing them.

“Ideally, I want to play as long as I can. Physically, I know I can. This year I’m probably fitter than I’ve ever been. Under a manager that works with me on the tactical side of things it takes four or five games to get the sharpness. But the hunger is there inside me to push on and win stuff.

“Everything is an option. I’m not ruling anything out. Whether that be retirement, playing, going into management – I’m halfway through my B-Licence – this or that.

“Genuinely, I promise from the heart I haven’t thought about anything. My mind’s not clear enough. When I feel right, I will have to do that. Obviously, if I do decide to go on and pre-season starts, I need to know in the summer whether I’m training or whether I’m not.

“These are the things I need to think about, but now is not the time. I need a good week away. Myself and the family deserve that, we need that. All the emotions of Sunday. My speech — none of it was planned. That emotion… I felt physically drained.

“We all think we can play on until we’re 40, but if ever there was a way to go out it was like this.”