Losing the England captaincy is a blessing in disguise for John Terry

By Steve Stammers

Published 06:02 10/02/10

• 

As the repercussions from the much-highlighted and controversial events of his private life begin to sink in for John Terry, he may feel more than a touch paranoid.

He will feel the whole world - with the exception of the Chelsea fans who idolise him - is against him.

The armband he treasured as one of the proudest Englishmen in the country has been taken from him.

The commercial benefits that go with the status of captain of England have gone, but that will not hurt Terry as much as lining up behind Rio Ferdinand in the tunnel ahead of an international.

But when he has time to reflect in the weeks and months ahead, he may well find that there is an enormous benefit to be gained.

It could be argued that Terry is the best central defender in the country, certainly one of the most accomplished in Europe and has been in a world XI. But the captaincy of England comes with territory.

Certain standards have to be met - standards much higher than any other player in the squad. It is maybe unfair, but it is a fact. As Tony Adams once said: "Life isn't fair. If life was fair it would be called fair - but it isn't ... it's called life."

So now Terry has to deal with real life, with his dejection and disappointment.

When he is away from the supportive environs of Stamford Bridge, he will be taunted mercilessly. At times, it will seem intolerable. But when he swaps the blue of Chelsea for the white of England, then will come his escape.

And especially when England assemble for the World Cup. That will be his solace.

No more interviews, no more prying questions. Just football and more football. No more sitting beside Fabio Capello in apprehension of a loaded question. Over to you Rio on that one.

Captaincy is an honour. But it can also be a burden, as William Gallas will testify. Since Arsene Wenger took the responsibility away from him, the Frenchman has been transformed. His focus has been totally on his game. No distractions. No interviews. And his form has flourished.

It can now be the same for Terry with the national team. His commitment has never been doubted, his physical courage and mental strength on the field have never been questioned. He can be relied on 100 per cent to give his all in any circumstances. To him, pain is just weakness leaving the body. Now he can concentrate on what he does best - playing football.

He will feel aggrieved, he will feel slighted. But there is no more committed patriot than John Terry.

He survived a testing upbringing in the mean streets of East London and he will survive this latest turmoil. He will also have found out in the last two weeks who his friends are - the true friends rather than the hangers-on - and he now has the opportunity to evaluate what is important in his life, what are the real priorities and hopefully rebuild a family life that seemed under threat after the unseemly headlines.

And he can do it without the scrutiny that goes with the captaincy of England. It is the perfect chance to turn a stumbling block into a stepping stone. At 29 he still has at least four years at the highest level in front of him - one, maybe two World Cups, and a European Championship.

He can now make the most of those opportunities without any distractions.

Fancy winning £3,000 for FREE this month? Play Mirror Football Streak for your chance to win cash prizes! Start predicting now!