Column: John Terry, The Last Of England's Football Legends?

Paul Scholes, one of the top names on Manchester United's official list of "legends," by virtue of his 718 appearances and 155 goals for the club in two decades of success under Alex Ferguson, has recycled himself as a sharp TV pundit, surprising for a player so taciturn and private before his retirement in 2013. Former England captain and Scholes' ex-teammate Rio Ferdinand, now 36, is winding down at Queens Park Rangers, in the bottom reaches of the Premier League as age blunts the elegant pace that graced his 12 years at the top with United. To prevent the onset of complacency, to keep them motivated and "to make them feel the past doesn't play a role and it's all about the present and tomorrow," Chelsea offers older players take-it or leave-it one-year deals, even to those of Terry's stature, who agreed to such a contract for this season, Mourinho explained. [...] a public vote of confidence for a central defender who will turn 35 in December signals that Mourinho is determined not to make manager Arsene Wenger's mistake at London rival Arsenal, building teams top-heavy with young talent but wobblingly short of a seasoned spine of leadership. [...] the highest-scoring defender in club history, Terry added another six in 36 games before the trip to West Ham, including Chelsea's opener in its 2-0 triumph over Tottenham in the League Cup final on Sunday. [...] English players with such stature, experience and achievements look an increasingly rare breed in a league relying ever more on foreigners for "striking qualities or deeds."

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