John Terry has been discussing the toughest strikers he faced in the Premier League throughout his career, naming one former Manchester United striker in his top five.
Former Chelsea captain John Terry was involved in many classic encounters against Manchester United, many of which decided titles and other major trophies.
The biggest match between the two Premier League clubs came in 2008 when United completed the double by winning the Champions League final on penalties in Moscow.
mail iconJoin our newsletter for news & smart analysis.
Terry was famously involved in the penalty shootout after a slip led to him missing his spot kick.
Moreover, Terry led Chelsea from the back into many title races involving United in the mid-2000s. The former England international played a key role under several Chelsea managers, such as Jose Mourinho.
United fans still sing Terry’s name whenever they visit Stamford Bridge as a reminder of his missed penalty in Moscow.
Wayne Rooney getting past John Terry
Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images
Terry came up against some top players throughout his career.
To many, the 44-year-old will be remembered as one of the best centre-backs to have played in the Premier League, so it is interesting to hear which opponents he found most difficult to play against.
More United News
When asked to name the top five strikers he played against in the Premier League, Terry named Wayne Rooney as a close second to former Arsenal captain Thierry Henry.
Terry added that Rooney is the best English player to have played in the Premier League.
“A very close second would be Wayne Rooney,” Terry said in a video uploaded to his TikTok page.
“I think Wayne is the greatest ever England player to play in the Premier League. He doesn’t get enough credit he deserves. The movement, he could drop short, go in behind, score with both feet. He could do things that embarrass you.
“I remember him being 17 and super strong in 2004 against Portugal that summer, an incredible player, someone I absolutely adore.”
John Terry names top 5 Premier League striker opponents:
Thierry Henry
Wayne Rooney
Sergio Aguero
Alan Shearer
Harry Kane
John Terry was the victim of Wayne Rooney’s studs switch
With players like Rooney in the dressing room, it was easier for Sir Alex Ferguson to maintain a winning mentality at the club.
One of Rooney’s key traits was his aggression, but sometimes he may channel it in the wrong way.
How would you rate Manchester United’s season after 11 Premier League games?
In April 2006, United travelled to Stamford Bridge knowing a defeat would hand the title over to Mourinho’s side.
Rooney later admitted during an Amazon Prime documentary that he had planned to let his anger out by inflicting pain on a Chelsea player by changing his studs to longer alternatives.
“I remember the game. I changed my studs to put longer studs in because I wanted to hurt someone,” Rooney said.
“If Chelsea won a point, they would win the league. At the time, I couldn’t take it. The studs were legal. They were legal size, but they were bigger than what I would normally wear.”
Rooney went on to add that the player in question was Terry.
“I remember a 50/50 with John Terry and I’ve gone right over the ball. Right on the top of his foot he had a big hole. He was on crutches after the game.”