Arsène Wenger believes John Terry will move into coaching once his playing career ends, describing the Chelsea defender as a leader and a “great coach on the pitch”.
Terry is set to leave Chelsea at the end of the season, having joined the club at 14 and played almost 700 games for the Premier League champions. Arsenal have not beaten Chelsea in a league match since 2011 and Terry’s defence have not conceded a goal against them in the last six.
There remains some doubt whether Terry will be offered a new contract before his existing deal expires in the summer, with the player saying “the club’s moving in a different direction”. Wenger ruled out a move for the 35-year-old but said he had been a symbol of Chelsea’s strength in recent years.
“He was not only a great player, he certainly still is, but he was also a great coach on the pitch,” said Wenger. “I saw him here once at London Colney playing with the Under-21s and the way he coached the team as a player was absolutely marvellous. He was a real leader and he had a great career as well, let’s not forget that.
“That’s never a coincidence. The guys who last such a long time have something special. He was the symbol of cohesion inside Chelsea’s club because him, [Frank] Lampard, [Didier] Drogba and [Petr] Cech were the players who carried the club’s values for long periods. When you lose players like that you’re always in danger. I see a coaching career in his future, certainly. He will remain in football, I’m sure.”
“The problem of our job and for the players is that it [careers in football] stops very early in your life. You lose that passion very early in your life and you know how to refocus something and be as good as anything is nearly impossible. That is not easy to deal with. I’m confronted with many generations of players who after their career have that problem.”
Asked if he would consider a deal for Terry if he leaves Chelsea, Wenger added: “No, because he is at the end of his career and he has spent his career at Chelsea. If he wants to play longer, I am sure he will play for Chelsea.”
Arsenal host Southampton on Tuesday, a little over a month after they were beaten by Ronald Koeman’s side 4-0. Tomas Rosicky will miss the game with a thigh problem but Wenger will have key players available after resting Mesut Özil and Theo Walcott for the FA Cup victory over Burnley.
Wenger does not expect Arsenal to make any moves in the transfer window today, although he said there remains a slim possibility that the full-back Mathieu Debuchy could leave on loan, with Serge Gnabry set to join a Championship club on loan.
“Debuchy [leaving] is a possibility. At the moment it doesn’t look likely but it is still a possibility,” said Wenger. “The whole period was much quieter that I expected. I thought there would be much more activity.
“A miracle can always happen, someone can knock on your door and if Messi knocks on my door at 6pm tonight, I will not say ‘please go back to Barcelona!’”