Former Chelsea captain, John Terry, has revealed why he rejected a transfer move to Arsenal and Manchester United when he was a teenager.
Terry began his career with West Ham United’s youth setup before moving to Chelsea back in 1995.
When he was making the switch to the Blues, the former England defender was heavily courted by former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and the Arsenal hierarchy.
Explaining why he opted to join Chelsea over Arsenal and United, Terry said in a recent appearance on William Hill’s Up Front with Simon Jordan podcast:
“Arsenal had rolled out the red carpet for me, Man United had done the same, and Chelsea didn’t do anything. All they offered me was a pair of boots [for] my first season and my £2 expenses for getting the train from Barking to Battersea, nothing else. I had Sir Alex Ferguson phoning my house, speaking to my dad and speaking to me on a weekly, monthly basis, checking that I was going to school, that I was doing everything right and training. It was incredible.
“When I walked into Chelsea I just knew Chelsea was the right club for me. I just felt it was home, you know when you walk into a house and just get the feeling that ‘I’m here for the next 20 years’, I felt that at Chelsea. I did that for a couple of years and then had a decision to make on who I was signing for but I absolutely loved it… I just fell in love with Chelsea.”
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