Ethan Ampadu training with John Terry and Karen Carney ahead of Chelsea preseason

John Terry and Chelsea Football Club continue to be inextricably linked, even a full year after “Captain, Leader, Legend” moved on to Birmingham to help Aston Villa in their valiant boom-or-bust drive for promotion to the Premier League.

It turned out to be bust for the debt-strapped West Midlands club. They lost to Fulham in the playoff final, the creditors came a-knockin’ and Terry became unaffordable. But the 37-year-old apparently has an insatiable desire to keep playing football for a living.

Maybe that’s why he quietly posted a rather remarkable photo to social media last week. On the one hand, hey, it’s just a training session. On the other hand, though, it reveals the breadth of what Chelsea has become.

In the middle of the trio is Legend and Past. That’s Terry himself, as disciplined in his training as ever, apparently preparing himself for a new season, destination as yet unknown.

On the right is Future: 17-year-old Ethan Ampadu is finally back in training after recovering from a broken ankle he suffered in March, during Chelsea’s 4-2 victory over Real Madrid in the UEFA Youth League. Despite his tender years, Ampadu made ten appearances for the senior team before he was injured and he never looked out of place. He’s back on the pitch, training under the supervision of physio Jon Fearn, just in time to catch the eye of (presumed) new head coach Maurizio Sarri.

And on the left is Woman. She’s Karen Carney, winger of the all-conquering, undefeated, double-winning Chelsea Women. The best team in the land.

This is our club. And what a great one it is.