Terry: 'Not all down to manager'

John Terry concedes it does not matter who the Football Association appoint as England manager if the players do not start performing.

The Chelsea and England captain yesterday appeared to give his backing to his former club boss Jose Mourinho, describing him as the outstanding candidate for the job.

Terry is still smarting from the country’s failure to qualify for Euro 2008 and knows it will take more than just a change at the top to turn their fortunes around.

“We are at a very low point at the moment. We can only go forward,” he said on Sky Sports News.

“The FA are looking to bring in the right man to take us forward. But maybe as players we have not done it at international level.”

He added: “I take a lot of responsibility on my shoulders as captain. Hopefully I can keep the armband and drive us forward.”

Terry is convinced Mourinho, who left Stamford Bridge by mutual consent in September, has the ingredients to help put England on the right path.

The defender has already held talks with FA chief executive Brian Barwick about a number of subjects and the next England manager is understood to have been one of them.

Terry declared: “I have had a meeting with Brian Barwick but that stays very private between me and him.

“It was not just about managers but many things. But that will stay very private. I sure he will meet a few of the other guys as well but it is great to be consulted on these matters.

“Jose came in and took us to a new level at Chelsea. I am very lucky to have worked with Jose – he is a fantastic manager and a fantastic guy.

“He is one that really stands out for me and could make a big difference. He’s a great guy, tactically he is very aware, and he understands the game very well.

“He enjoys the day in, day out stuff with a club side so maybe it would not suit him, but you never know – it is down to the FA to contact him if they want to speak to him.

“But there are other managers out there that are being talked about who are very good.”

Terry rubbished suggestions he and his England team-mates were too highly paid to care about the country’s fate.

He said: “I came into football because I love the game. When you get the disappointments like Euro 2008 and then people speak about money and cars, it is really frustrating because they don’t mean anything to me.

“It is about playing for your country and having the pride to honour your country, shirt and family.

“You get people phoning you and trying to cheer you up and make you happy, but you don’t want to take people’s calls, you feel as though you’ve let them down, your friends, your family and all the fans in the country.

“I get home and see my kids and you feel as though you’ve let them down. Without my kids recently it would have been very difficult because they get you out of bed in the morning and they need a lot of time. It has been very difficult personally but we have to move on.”