World class.

Oliver Holt agrees.

His main contribution was just being here. He set a captain’s example when he got on the plane and refused to succumb to injury.

Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Rio Ferdinand and Wayne Rooney were not here. But Terry was. Terry put himself on the line and the team around him responded magnificently.

It is a sign of the times that we should be at once impressed and grateful that Terry put himself on the line to play for his country.

His level of commitment should be the minimum expectation and to suggest otherwise is to risk the scorn of those who see our elite players as pampered and fickle beasts.

But these are different times. This is an era where Premier League clubs can exert pressure, both subtly and overtly, on their players and encourage them to regard international duty as an inconvenience.

This is an era where the commitment to international football is often the first thing to be sacrificed when the calendar is crowded and the title race is gaining pace.

It is in that context that Terry’s determination to play in the Olympic Stadium last night gains added significance.

Where was he when England got beaten by Croatia and therefore failed to make it to the Euros? ‘Injured’, yet available to play 90 minutes for Chelsea three days later.

Christ these monotonous write-ups, bleating the same old rubbish, get awfully tiresome.

TinyTears for PM!




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