John Terry has identified a legendary Arsenal player as the opponent he feared the most, coinciding with his induction into the Premier League Hall of Fame.
This past Monday marked the occasion when the ex-Chelsea and England skipper was honored with a place in the Hall of Fame, an accolade he shares with the esteemed Manchester United and Newcastle striker, Andy Cole.
- Man Utd finally make decision on sacking Erik ten Hag before FA Cup final
- Arteta reacts to news that Cole Palmer could miss Chelsea’s trip to Arsenal
- Zinedine Zidane ‘picks between’ Man Utd & Bayern as Ratcliffe sent message
‘To be recognised by your peers and the supporters is special. For me it is the best league in the world, so I’m very proud of what I achieved alongside my team-mates,’ Terry said.
‘I fell in love with football at a young age and it’s emotional to reflect on the time spent playing.
‘It has been an incredible journey. At the time you’re not thinking let’s do this to become part of the Hall of Fame, you just want to work hard and try to win and to be remembered as someone who gave their all for the team and the supporters.’
Terry, widely regarded as one of the greatest center-backs in the Premier League’s history, captained Chelsea to all five of their Premier League titles and achieved an impressive 214 clean sheets in 492 appearances—a record unmatched by any other defender.
As he reflects on his illustrious career, Terry has singled out the four most formidable opponents he faced on the pitch.
And it is perhaps not a surprise to see who he selected as the best player he faced: ‘Thierry Henry was the best I came up against, the one I feared the most.’
Terry went up against Henry 14 times while he was at Arsenal, winning on onlg four occasions, with the forward putting five goals past him.
As for the rest of the quartet, the former England defender picked the all-time top goal scorers for Manchester United, Manchester City & Tottenham.
He added: ‘Next has to be Wayne Rooney. He was a top, top player and what he achieved was incredible.
‘I don’t know if it gets overlooked a little bit just how good Wayne was when he first broke into the England team. I remember playing against him in the Premier League and having him as a teammate in the England sessions. He was phenomenal.
‘I’d also say Sergio Aguero or Harry Kane were difficult to come up against.’
