Best 21 quotes of John Terry on MyQuotes

For me, Lionel Messi is quite clearly the best player ever. It’s a pleasure to put myself against him and when I finish my career it’s something I can look back on and know I’ve tested myself against the very best.

Frank Lampard is the best ever at Chelsea and one of the best I've ever played with and against in world football today, and I think what set him apart was his dedication and hard work.

Games are not so bad because the adrenalin keeps you going, but training on a daily basis when every time you move it hurts, that is a real battle.

I don't envisage I will be captain again, but for two England managers, Steve McClaren and Fabio Capello, I was their first choice and I'm proud of that.

I had a little teddy bear called Gordon the gopher. I took him to bed with me, he'd come to school with me cos he was my favourite.

I have played against (Michel) Platini, (Diego) Maradona, (Johan) Cruyff and played with George Best — a lot of big names, but none of them has been able to do what Messi does. Two years ago I said that the best player I played against was Maradona and the best player I have played with was Bestie. But I can now say I have never seen a player as good as Messi. He’s in a league of his own.

I like to play snooker, golf as well.

I love playing for my country. I see it as the biggest privilege of my career, so there's no way I'm going to volunteer to give that up. I want to go on for as long as I can. I've got 68 caps and I'd love to think I could get 100. I know there are some players who reach their 30s and announce their international retirement. I totally understand and respect their decisions. We are away a lot and for long spells. But although it's hard, we're doing one of the most privileged jobs in the world.

I'm really enjoying learning new ideas because eventually I want to become a manager myself so I'm gathering all this information from managers now and previously.

I still say if the ball is there to be won I will go for it, whether with my head or whatever, and if it means us scoring or stopping a goal, I won't think twice.

It's been a tough season for all of us, but all we can do is keep fighting and showing character to the end of the season

Kids want to be professional footballers and I think they need to know what it takes to get there - you know, the dedication. People see footballers playing on a Saturday afternoon in front of the TV cameras, but from a Monday to Friday people don't really see what goes on.

My mum dated a guy from Liverpool. The Liverpool fans made up a song that she 'loves Scouse c*ck'

No, I love it at Chelsea. I've been here since I was 14, and I'm 28 now. All my friends are here, so I'm going to stay for ever unless Chelsea tell me I've got to go, which maybe one day they will, but for now I'm definitely staying.

Often it feels like we are at a home match when we have so many fans there. The singing, the cheering helps the players.  (on Chelsea playing on the road)

Paolo Maldini is someone I loved at AC Milan and looked up to as a player. I think he had so much about him. He had so much quality and he was a player I looked to growing up. Him and Tony Adams - another footballer who's won it all.

Politics come from man. Mercy, compassion, and justice come from God.

Some of the money from the senior players goes to helping out the younger kids. It is from the players' pool, the fines for being late and so on. Some will go to something like the tsunami appeal and some to helping out young players.

The manager could not even talk to us at the interval. He said we were bad.

When I was little, I didn't like being left on my own in the dark.

You don't have to be captain to have an opinion.