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When John Terry Brutally Hit Back At Robbie Savage's Punditry

When John Terry Brutally Hit Back At Robbie Savage's Punditry

Chelsea legend John Terry wasn't impressed with Savage commenting on him because of the Welshman's career as a footballer.

Ryan Sidle

Ryan Sidle

John Terry was a no nonsense defender during his playing career and he didn't have time for any nonsense from certain pundits either.

The former Chelsea centre back had an incredible career, making 717 appearances for the Blues and helping the club win five Premier League titles, five FA Cups, three League Cups and the Champions League.

And one of the best to play the game was very specific with who he'd allow to criticise him. Back in 2015 he went pretty brutal in defending himself and criticising pundit Robbie Savage for not winning any trophies.

Writing in August of that year Savage said that the Chelsea captain might be at "the beginning of the end," in his Mirror column, after Terry was substituted during the Blues' 3-0 loss to rivals Manchester City.

In his column the former Derby County defender wrote, "Looking in the mirror and admitting you're no longer the force of old is one of the hardest truths for top players to confront.

"For me, John Terry's ­substitution at half-time in Chelsea's 3-0 defeat at Manchester City was not manager Jose Mourinho sending a coded message to owner Roman Abramovich that he needs to sign new players.

"I'm convinced it sent a different signal - the beginning of the end for Terry as the indispensable rock at the heart of defence.

"Terry will be 35 in December, and age is finally catching up with him. There is no shame in that.

"With the exception of Rio Ferdinand, who was imperious for club and country before he ended his playing career over the summer, Terry is probably England's best centre-back of the Premier League era. But there is no way Mourinho would have taken off his captain at half-time while trailing 1-0 to a major title rival to send cryptic clues to Abramovich."

Which all seems pretty complementary and fair enough.

Terry played just 24 league games in that season, which at one point looked to be his last at Stamford Bridge, which was only the third time since the 2000/01 season he'd played less than 25 games in the league.

After the defender said he would only listen to the likes of Rio Ferdinand, Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher as pundits, Savage replied saying, "Terry has distanced him from the vast majority of people involved in football because he was effectively saying their opinions don't matter."

"If criticism is only valid when it comes from old team-mates who played at the very highest level, the game is doomed."

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Topics: John Terry, Chelsea, Robbie Savage