In conversation with Chelsea & England legend John Terry

Robbie Greenfield (0:00)

This is Dubai Eye Eye 103.8.

Chris McHardy (0:05)

Well, welcome along to a very, very special Offscript podcast. It's myself, Chris McHardy, and Robbie Greenfield. And over the course of the next hour or so, we are in conversation with the former England, the former Chelsea captain, John Terry. He joined us in these various shows. Let me start, though, by saying, Robbster, welcome, conversation.

Robbie Greenfield (0:25)

Yeah, thank you very much, Chris.

Chris McHardy (0:26)

John Terry, give us a little bit of background, not that he needs an introduction, but as a footballer, he's achieved an awful lot.

Robbie Greenfield (0:33)

He's a very successful footballer. He's regarded as certainly one of the greatest centre backs that has ever played in the Premier League. You put him in the conversation with probably the Mannyo Vidic, Rio Ferdinand, Jap Stam, perhaps. There's a couple of contenders, but John Terry's name would be right up there.

And he's also a character that has courted a fair amount of controversy during his playing career. He's had some moments where he's made headlines for a lot of the wrong reasons. And as a result, a lot of people have preconceptions of what John Terry is like.

Chris McHardy (1:06)

And there's no doubt about that. October 1998, it was Gianluca Viali that gave John Terry his debut for Chelsea, who would stay at that football club all the way through until 2017 A 19-year period that saw John win five Premier League titles, five FA Cups, two League Cups, throw in a Champions League and a Europa League as well.

And he's achieved it all in the game.

Robbie Greenfield (1:29)

He certainly has. He is very decorated.

He's done it all at one club. He's really one of the last bastions of a one-club legend. We've seen them dying out. They're a dying breed in modern football.

And he lives and breathes Chelsea Football Club. He's now the assistant head coach at Aston Villa and embarking on a career in management. But let's get into this conversation, Chris. We are in conversation for the next 65 minutes or so with a footballing legend from the Premier League.

Chris McHardy (2:16)

The captain, the leader, the legend there is John Terry. He joins us in studio and I say to you, John, welcome to our humble abode.

John Terry (2:24)

Pleasure to be here, it's beautiful. I love Dubai Eye and very impressive here.

Chris McHardy (2:28)

And you're here for the Dubai Eye Fitness Challenge as well, of course, we're gonna touch on that in just a moment. Dubai Eye, it is a home away from home for you a little bit.

John Terry (2:34)

It is actually, we first come here in 99, 2000, just me and my wife and the kids have kind of been here since they've grown up, so we've probably been here two, three times a year, very fortunate to kind of come to such a beautiful place, but it's definitely our favourite place as a family.

Robbie Greenfield (2:47)

And John, you're out here with the Dubai Eye Fitness Challenge. 30 minutes of exercise for 30 straight days, that's the initiative, and it's been very successful in the years that it's been running.

Give us an idea of exactly what you're gonna be doing in the next couple of days.

John Terry (2:59)

Well, I've been down at the football facility this morning, watching the kids play some football. That can be any sport, we're not just talking football here, we're talking cycling, swimming, running, a bit of Zumba as well from my wife going on, so a little bit of everything, but like we say, just important to get out for 30 minutes of exercise a day for 30 days is excellent.

Chris McHardy (3:18)

Yeah, you mentioned your wife, Tony, as well. She has written a book about it, about the importance of working with friends and family. I mean, do you carry that mantra into your daily life? Do you work out with the Mrs. on a regular basis?

John Terry (3:30)

I did, I kind of retired and thought that was the end of it. I could give up kind of exercising, but she's constantly on the case to me. Up, getting the family up in the gym, Sunday mornings on the bike, on the treadmill, for a walk with the dogs, little jog with the dogs, that kind of thing. So she's very active.

It's very important as a family as well, because kids nowadays as well, especially around computers and stuff like that, it's important to get them out, whether that's 30, 40, 40 minutes an hour a day, it's very important.

Robbie Greenfield (3:57)