First the positives. John Terry was a good defender, for club and country. He won a lot for the former, and nothing for the latter.
Now the question. Does this make him worthy of an ambassadorial role at the World Cup? The former Chelsea centre-back has enjoyed a high-profile presence in the United States as a guest of Fifa, even sitting one row behind the global supremo Gianni Infantino for England’s drab draw with Ghana in Boston.
And over and above his free ticket for a posh seat, he was seen walking around the pitch interacting with current England players before the match. He was present again for England’s win against Panama and the knockout victory over DR Congo, giving post-match “verdicts” on social media along the lines of “the boys showed great fight tonight, the performance wasn’t ideal but let’s enjoy it”.
And even though the Football Association insists it has nothing to do with Terry’s presence there, the optics are not good, as he is in close proximity to the current England setup, if not officially connected. Indeed, he was sitting next to FA chief executive Mark Bullingham for the Ghana match.
There is no escaping Terry’s connection to England, of course. He did, after all, play 78 times for his country. But he is a terrible choice as an ambassador at the World Cup – and an awful option for a Three Lions cheerleader.
