John Terry embellished his status with Chelsea fans as “captain, leader, legend” by scoring the goal that set his side on the way to a 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur in the League Cup final at a rain-sodden Wembley on Sunday.
The former England captain was once again a quite inspirational presence for the club that adores him as he defended like a lion and scored a 45th-minute goal to ease Chelsea nerves before Kyle Walker’s deflected own goal from a Diego Costa shot settled the final in the 56th minute.
It meant an ecstatic Terry lifting the League Cup 10 years since he first did so under Jose Mourinho’s watch – and just as in the last reign of “The Special One”, he will be hopeful that it signals an era of supremacy for the west London club.
I thought we played very well, handled the game very well and I am delighted with the win
“That’s the first one, it’s massive. It meant an awful lot to us [to win the League Cup] in 2004-05 in Jose’s first year here,” Terry told Sky Sports.
“That could be the start of something very good but we have to kick on and we have the league to focus on, but it’s a great win today.”
They are now five points clear with a game in hand and Mourinho, fresh from ending his personal drought of not having won any trophy for three years, still has a treble in his lofty sights with the Champions League also on the agenda.
“The pressure was there before the game, obviously, but that’s what cup finals do to you,” Terry said.