Roy Hodgson has revealed that it is with regret that he has accepted former England captain John Terry’s decision to retire from international football, according to The Telegraph.
Terry retired from England duty on Sunday night after revealing that his relationship with the Football Association had become ‘untenable’ after the FA had decided to charge the Chelsea skipper with racially abusing QPR defender Anton Ferdinand.
Hodgson has revealed that naturally he was gutted to hear the news that the 31-year-old Terry, who won 78 caps for his country, had decided to call time on his Three Lions tenure, “I am of course disappointed to lose a player of John’s international experience and exceptional ability.”
The England manager also revealed that he had asked Terry to think carefully about his decision before making his retirement public. The 65-year-old also said that Terry was a man of whom he admired greatly as a person and as a professional, “I have enjoyed a good relationship with John during my time as England manager and I reluctantly accept his decision. I can also confirm that he had the courtesy to call me prior to announcing his retirement from the England team.”
One man who isn’t so accepting of Terry’s decision is the General Secretary of the FA Alex Horne, who believes that Terry’s hearing shouldn’t affect his relationship with the national team, “I don’t see how we’ve made it untenable – they’re two very separate processes.”
Terry retires from the England team as arguably one of the greatest defenders to have played for his country. However, despite the tough-tackling Chelsea man playing in two World Cups and two European championships for England, the defender’s controversial antics off the field have often marred his potential to lead the national side to great things. On two different occasions Terry has both won and lost the captaincy due to his personal misdemeanours.
Whilst these decisions often bring a period of contemplation, they also arouse discussions on the future. Terry’s retirement now poses several questions. For example, will Hodgson now reinstate Rio Ferdinand to the England set-up? If not, then will Hodgson opt for either Gary Cahill or Phil Jagielka to deputise alongside Joleon Lescott at centre-back? Or will Terry’s retirement prompt a more long-term outlook and will England boss now entrust Manchester United’s Phil Jones with the mantle of carrying England forward into the future?