Chelsea defefender John Terry is set to come out of international retirment, in an extrodinary turn of events.
The Chelsea veteran, now aged 33, is set to make his return to the international stage in England’s friendly against Denmark in March, ahead of the World Cup this Summer, in Brazil.
Terry retired from the international scene in late 2012, following a string of personal errors and challenges Terry had faced.
Any comeback would be politically difficult for Hodgson, but it would give the England coach a serious dilemma.
Hodgson publicly ruled out a Terry comeback in November and the England manager would not make the first move towards the Chelsea man, with the World Cup just months away.
Terry has been in some superb form this season, after the return of manager Jose Mourinho, with the Blues sitting pretty at the top of the Barclays Premier League.
Terry’s last major international tournement came as England crashed out in the Quarter Finals of Euro 2012, after a defeat on penalties to Italy, a game which many thought saw the end of Terry’s England career.
Phil Jagielka and Terry’s Chelsea team-mate Gary Cahill performed well during England’s qualifying campaign, while Chris Smalling has always been a personal favourite of Hodgson, ever since their time spent at Fulham together.
But Terry’s recent form for Chelsea has since forced Hodgson to back track within regards to his plans for his central defensive pairings.
The Denmark match is England’s only friendly before the end of the season, so it represents Terry’s last realistic chance to throw his hat back into the ring and add to his 78 caps, with the Wembley showpiece a key game for Terry himself.
Terry’s last World Cup campaign ended in disaster, as England were humiliated after a 4-1 defeat against Germany.
By Ben Reardon
@BenReardon1
