Charlton: Terry case must not become a distraction

Bobby Charlton has called on John Terry to ensure England’s European Championship campaign is not derailed by him losing the captaincy for a second time.

World Cup-winning Manchester United legend Charlton backed the FA’s decision to strip Terry of the armband while the defender awaits trial over allegations he racially abused QPR’s Anton Ferdinand, something he denies. The FA acted after Chelsea and Terry’s legal representatives succeeded in delaying the case until after Euro 2012, something which appears to have backfired on the Blues skipper.

Charlton, who helped inspire England to World Cup glory in 1966 and remains his country’s record goalscorer, urged Terry to act now to try to resolve any issues that have arisen since the allegations against him first emerged.