John Terry would strike fear into the hearts of most players on his day, but there’s one current Premier League star he says he would have struggled with, even in his prime.
During his peak years, Terry faced some formidable forwards.
His dominant defending kept Chelsea in games at times, and he can take as much credit as anyone for the five league titles he has in his trophy cabinet.
Most attackers dreaded coming up against the Englishman, but one man who never shies away from a challenge is someone Terry thinks could have caused him problems, even at his best.
Erling Haaland playing for Man City
Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images
John Terry says he would struggle against Erling Haaland
Terry faced some of the very best strikers the Premier League has seen, but there’s something about the Norwegian that strikes fear into the hearts of defenders.
Haaland is already on 14 goals after just 11 games this season, and looks to only be getting better.
Sitting down for an interview with Livesport Daily, Terry claims: ““I think, well, apart from him [Haaland], I think I’d be quite comfortable.”
The Chelsea captain acknowledges the problems that Haaland causes with his physicality but laments the dearth of top strikers in the league today.
He continues: “I think when I look back in the era that I played and the players that I played against, the strikers, every week was a really tough game for me.”
“So playing against Arsenal, you play against Henry, Bergkamp. You play against Man United, Rooney, van Nistelrooy, Tevez. You play against Liverpool, Suarez, Torres. You play against Bolton, Kevin Davies. You play against Liverpool, Michael Owen, Emile Heskey. You play against Sunderland, Darren Bent. You play against Tottenham, Jermain Defoe, Harry Kane.
“Like, every team I go to, there’s top, top strikers. Unfortunately, there’s not that in the Premier League at the moment.”
Terry’s not even the first Chelsea player this week to bring up City’s goal machine. Robert Sanchez named Haaland as his toughest opponent.
Another Man City link for John Terry
Terry has been chatting a lot about City in recent weeks.
First, lamenting the fact that Chelsea missed out on Sergio Aguero before he went to the Etihad. Another world-class striker, by the way.
More recently, Terry revealed that Man City tried to sign him while he was in his prime.
Who is Chelsea’s best ever player?
Unfortunately, Aguero never came, but fortunately, Terry never left.