John Terry has made the bold claim that there wasn't a more 'underrated' player in world football than one of his old England teammates.
The best defender in Premier League history played against some of the greatest footballers of his generation, including Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. However, he also lined up with some world-class players, such as Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba, for Chelsea.
But it was an England international colleague who left a huge impression on JT. The Three Lions underachieved during Terry's 20-year career, but it wasn't through a lack of outstanding footballers at the disposal of several different managers.
John Terry Picks Out 'Underrated' England Icon
England's football team poses before their 2010 World Cup Group C soccer match against Slovenia in Port Elizabeth June 23, 2010. From top left are James Milner, John Terry, goalkeeper David James, Matthew Upson, Gareth Barry and Frank Lampard. From bottom left are Ashley Cole, Steven Gerrard, Wayne Rooney, Glen Johnson and Jermain Defoe
Taking to his TikTok account during the recent international break, the 45-year-old was tasked with picking his best England XI, including players from his 'Golden Generation' and Thomas Tuchel's current squad. Unsurprisingly, Terry sided with most of his ex-teammates against the younger crop.
After picking the likes of Ashley Cole, Lampard and Steven Gerrard without even flinching, the three-time Premier League champion's selections got really interesting. When it came to the forward roles, he was asked to pick between Aston Villa ace Morgan Rogers and Manchester United's all-time leading goalscorer, Wayne Rooney.
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Rather predictably, Terry picked Rooney. One of his toughest ever opponents, Terry dubbed Rooney a 'nightmare' to defend against. He also handed the 120-cap international 'the most underrated player in world football'. He said:
"Wayne Rooney, 100%.
"I think [he's] the most underrated player in world football and he was a nightmare to play against for England and Chelsea."
It's quite the claim to suggest someone widely acknowledged as one of the Premier League's greatest-ever players could be considered 'underrated'. Especially when that man racked up 53 and 253 goals for England and Man Utd, respectively.
John Terry Puts Current England Star on Rooney's Level
Harry Kane in action for England against Andorra
The man who overtook Rooney as England's top goalscorer in March 2023 was Harry Kane. The ex-Tottenham and current Bayern Munich forward has been among the best players in world football for several years now and is even a strong contender for the 2026 Ballon d'Or.
His 213-goal haul in the Premier League puts him second on the all-time scoring chart behind Alan Shearer. Terry thinks Kane is on a similar level to Rooney, and even picked the 32-year-old over Michael Owen in his XI. The retired Chelsea captain said:
"Harry goes down with Wayne as the best striker of our generation."
Statistics in this article are courtesy of Transfermarkt. Correct as of 04-04-26.