Former Aston Villa defender, John Terry
Former Aston Villa defender, John Terry
Former Aston Villa goalkeeper Mark Bosnich has revealed that a stern warning from John Terry about his social circle could have extended his career, had he paid any attention to it. The Australian, who was at Chelsea with the then 21 year old Terry, recounted how the future west London club legend warned him in "no uncertain terms" about the company he kept.
Bosnich admitted to feeling "bullet proof" at the time and ignored the advice, a decision he later regretted. "I should have listened to his advice back then," Bosnich reflected in a 2015 interview with the Guardian.
"If I had, I would never had got into the troubles that I did. The whole mess ended up curtailing my career."
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His tenure at Villa Park - which included two League Cup triumphs - lasted from 1992 until 1999, after which he transferred to Manchester United. However, his stint at Old Trafford saw him make only 23 appearances before he joined Chelsea in 2001.
Struggles with injuries and breaking into the first team at Stamford Bridge were compounded when he received a nine-month football ban for cocaine use. This led to his sacking by Chelsea and a battle with addiction, resulting in a five-year hiatus from the sport before he hung up his gloves in 2009, reports Football London.
Terry's former Chelsea team-mate Bosnich admitted: "John's actions showed amazing foresight and leadership at such a young age, and is the reason so many managers such as Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti, Fabio Capello and others, have always made him captain.
"The bottom line is that as a person, he will always be the smiling kid I remember at a young age who spoke up when no-one else did – and was right."