Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has heaped praise on John Terry after the Chelsea captain announced that this season would be his last with the Blues.
Terry, 36, revealed after Chelsea's 5-1 FA Cup fourth-round win at MK Dons yesterday that he was not being offered a new contract after 18 years with the West London side.
Wenger was asked at a press conference this morning if he would be interested in poaching Terry from Arsenal's London rivals like he did with Petr Cech last summer, but he was adamant that would not happen and only had praise for the "marvellous" former England international.
"He was not only a great player, he certainly still is, but he was also a great coach on the pitch," Wenger told reporters. "I saw him here once at London Colney playing with the Under-21s and the way he coached the team as a player was absolutely marvellous.
"He was a real leader and he had a great career as well, let's not forget that. That's never a coincidence. The guys who last such a long time have something special.
"He was the symbol of cohesion inside Chelsea's club because him, [Frank] Lampard, [Didier] Drogba and Cech were the players who carried the club's values for long periods. When you lose players like that you're always in danger."
Although Terry seemed sure of his impending exit, Chelsea released a statement saying that while no contract offer is on the table at the moment, the situation could change in the coming months.
Pascal Lemesre
