John Terry reveals he was '100% fit' for just FIVE games at Chelsea across glittering career

Terry enjoyed a brilliant career as a player at Chelsea, becoming the first player ever to captain a team to the Premier League title on five separate occasions while also lifting the 2011-12 Champions League. He is also a five-time winner of the FA Cup and claimed the League Cup three times.

He was a regular for the Blues after breaking into the first-team in 2000 and went on to rack up 717 appearances for the club before his exit in 2017, with only Ron Harris and Peter Bonetti appearing in more games than the centre-back.

Terry picked up 78 international caps with England but was part of a gifted generation that could never perform at major tournaments, with stars like Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard all failing to come good when it mattered most for the Three Lions.

Appearing on the latest episode of Double Tops sponsored by BetMGM, Terry spoke about playing through illness and injury and said he almost never fully fit.

He revealed: “I was very old school. If I was feeling ill or sick I would just go out and get on with it, I don’t think people should miss matches due to illness – it doesn’t sit right with me.

“Everyone says ‘oh you won’t be at your peak if you’re ill’, but you don’t know that until you get out there and give it a crack.

“I can’t tell you the amount of injections that I had to get through the next game, but that’s because I wanted to play in every single one. I played 717 games for Chelsea and I could say, genuinely, I was 100% fit for five of them.

“When I went into a game, I rarely didn’t have a rib, arm, leg, ankle or some sort of injury – something always hurt. That was just part of being a professional footballer and you can’t sit it out because you’re ill.

“The games come so thick and fast and you can’t afford to miss one. The player who might come in to replace you might not be at your level and in order to win titles and constantly compete, you need to be there, no matter what.”

Terry evidently didn't let physical pain stop him from turning out for Chelsea, but the 45-year-old did obtain some significant injuries during his playing career. He suffered a herniated disk in 2006 and damaged his ankle ligaments a year later, managing to return earlier than expected for a League Cup final against Tottenham on that occasion.

He could only make 27 appearances during the 2012-13 season after suffering knee ligament issues and would have to deal with recurring ankle and hamstring problems towards the end of his playing days.

Terry has also revealed his frustration at not being involved with the senior Chelsea set-up after Enzo Maresca was sacked as the first-team manager. The Italian left on New Year's Day and Calum McFarlane was appointed caretaker manager, earning a surprise point against Manchester City before losing to Fulham.

He said: "(I wasn't) annoyed, probably more frustrated because I was certainly part of that U21s group that went over," Terry said.

"So even if I didn't take the team. Obviously, Calum took the team and did really well. Got a result out of the game. 

"I feel like I should have been part of them. Now, listen. People have got to make decisions. I love it when people make decisions and they go yes or no. And clearly ownership or whoever made those decisions, the sporting directors have gone 'no', not to include me for whatever reason - why, I don't know."

Liam Rosenior has since been named Chelsea's permanent head coach and has started promisingly, winning eight of his first 12 games in charge.