Terry not ruling out England return

PREMIER LEAGUE

The 32-year-old’s influence at Stamford Bridge has waned this season as fitness concerns have seen him overtaken in the pecking order.

Yet Terry maintains he is as good as ever and is believed to be prepared to consider making himself available for England once more despite being stripped of the captaincy after being charged with racially abusing QPR’s Anton Ferdinand.

Any U-turn would be dependent on personalities in and around the squad, with Terry’s resentment towards the FA evident last week when he rejected chairman David Bernstein’s attempt to shake hands at the Champions League trophy handover.

Terry was cleared at Westminster Magistrates Court of making a racist insult to Anton Ferdinand, brother of his former England team-mate Rio, but was charged by the FA and banned for four matches.

Terry’s belief in his ability remains as he enters the final year of his contract and he is prepared to wait for Chelsea to initiate discussions over a new deal.

Following the 2-1 Europa League semi-final win at Basle, Terry, who is likely to be on the bench for tomorrow’s home clash with Swansea, was asked if he is still as good a player after a decade of repelling the world’s leading strikers. “Yes, I personally think that,” he said.

“This year’s been really frustrating for me, not playing and picking up the (knee) injury (against Liverpool in November).

“Initially it looked (like an absence of) two or three weeks, it turned out to be three or four months.

“I don’t want to talk out of turn, but I’d love to stay at Chelsea. I’m happy to leave things until they come to me.

“I’ve got another year left and I’ll definitely be here next year.”