José Mourinho believes his ability to restore a smile to John Terry’s face has helped prolong the veteran defender’s career and influence at Chelsea, with the former England captain to return to the starting lineup against Hull City on Saturday.
Terry, like Willian and Eden Hazard, had been granted three days off this week and missed the Champions League success over Sporting Lisbon while Mourinho juggled his squad with the busy schedule over the festive season in mind. The 34-year-old’s elite career had appeared to be drawing to a close when the Portuguese returned to Stamford Bridge last season, with the centre-half having been hampered by back and knee injuries and limited to only 16 appearances during the six-month interim stewardship of Rafael Benítez.
Yet he played all but four of Chelsea’s Premier League games last term and has been an ever-present to date this campaign, with the club’s medical staff having sought to address his previous fitness issues. Just as importantly, he is enjoying life back under Mourinho with the manager having previously acknowledged the need to raise the player’s “self-esteem”.
“Everybody plays a part, and our training methodology helps,” said Mourinho. “The way he is taking care of himself is very important too. The medical department and my fitness coaches, in recovery and prevention, are working very well. But the most important thing of everything is to be happy. Be happy.
“I read once a famous neurologist who said: ‘We docs always say do exercise, eat properly, be careful with salt, be careful with this or that protein, but we forget to tell people the most important thing. Be happy.’ I think John is this. He had a period here where he had so many doubts, so many question marks: is he still the same player? Can he play at this level still? Is he fit? Will he play or be in the stands?
“Then, suddenly, the happiness arrives and look at him. It was a process for him. When I first came back we played a Uefa SuperCup [against Bayern Munich] and he didn’t play, so it was not an immediate situation. He was not yet ready for the high level then, so it was a process. But the reality is he played so well last season and has this season too. He’s playing well in a team that is playing very well, a team full of confidence, and that plays a part.”
The manager has eked the best from veterans before, most notably Javier Zanetti at Internazionale, and appears likely to encourage Chelsea to offer Terry a new one-year contract to extend his stay at Chelsea beyond next summer.
“Every player is an individual,” he said. “There are old players at the age of 22 – I know some – and young guys at 36 or 37. John is one of them. I had in Inter Zanetti who was already 37. When the other guys came after a day off from training, he’d run from his home to burn off the energy that had built up from his day off. I don’t know [how long John can play]. The important thing is that, against Hull, he will be in great conditions to play.”
Petr Cech will start his first Premier League game of the season on Saturday afternoon, with Thibaut Courtois ruled out by a minor groin injury.
Chelsea, meanwhile, are confident Hazard will sign a new five-year contract in the new year which is likely to establish the Belgian as the highest-earning player at the league leaders. Talks have been protracted over the terms of the contract, with Hazard currently operating without an agent.
“But there are no problems,” said Mourinho. “It will be soon, but I’m not worried because they are almost there. He’s not worried with ‘almost’. The club knows that ‘almost’ will become ‘done’, no problem.”