This is how it ends. In the 26th minute of his final Premier League match, John Terry left the Stamford Bridge pitch for the last time as a member of the club’s playing roster. Antonio Conte deliberately picked that minute as tribute to the squad number the captain has worn on his back for so many years.
He left the with the Chelsea players giving him the guard of honor and with the Chelsea faithful giving him a rousing standing ovation like they’ve done so many times before.
A proper 26th min goodbye for the man, the legend, the captain, a Mr. John Terry #Chelsea #JohnTerry #ChelseaChampions #TheCaptain pic.twitter.com/pYb9VZp3qF
— Benjamin Robertson (@AwNawHellNaw) May 21, 2017
It’s very fitting that Gary Cahill was the one to enter the match for him. It’s almost like Conte planned everything to perfection. It was a symbolic “passing of the torch” moment, even if the armband hasn’t technically been on JT for the entire season. We’ll probably never see another player for John Terry’s ilk in the Premier League or even the world of soccer again. What a way to send him off. Well done, to everyone who thought of this.