Former England and Chelsea captain John Terry is no stranger to the golf course. Talking of his time in the England National team, Terry revealed a time when the sport was banned in the dressing room. 

During the 2000s, Terry was a regular name on the England national team. He has played under several revered managers, who had differences in their outlook towards golf.

“With England, we weren’t allowed to [play golf] under Capello,” the former Chelsea captain admitted, according to the Bunkered.

Italy’s Fabio Capello had managed England from 2007 to 2012, and that was a tough time for the golf enthusiasts in the national team. Terry was one of them.

Since his retirement, the 45-year-old has been heavily involved with the game. He has been a regular at Pro-Ams and charity events in recent years.

“Mourinho was fine, unless you were losing,” Terry said. “Then he’d blame the golf.”

Chelsea’s rise came under Portugal's Jose Mourinho, and the 'Special One' was fine with the sport as long as the players delivered on the pitch.

During Terry's early days at Chelsea, golf was a popular sport among the senior players, which included the likes of Dennis Wise, Gianfranco Zola, Gianluca Vialli, and Ruud Gullit.

The Englishman has put in long hours to improve his golfing skills. He even reached a scratch handicap, but that has increased to five. 

Last year, he teed up with five-time major champion Brooks Koepka and learnt plenty from that experience.

Brooks Koepka’s Advice To John Terry

Terry featured at the BMW PGA Championship Pro-Am last September, which took place at Wentworth.

Terry said Koepka encouraged him to stay patient through the ups and downs and keep believing in his ability.

“He said golf is one of those sports you just have to go, ‘I’m going to hit some bad shots, I’m going to hit some good ones’. So just trust yourself and know that you’re a very good golfer as well,” Terry revealed the advice that Koepka gave him.

The two greats of their respective sport played alongside each other, and the Chelsea captain was in awe of Koepka’s game. He also pointed out a difference between soccer and golf.

“Just the way they strike the ball, he hit some unbelievable shots. There’s obviously loads to digest between one shot and the next shot, lots to think about. Whereas football is very reactive,” said Terry.

Terry, during his soccer days, used to thrive under pressure. However, golf presents a different challenge to the soccer icon and he is keen to improve upon his skills.

What are your thoughts on the golf ban in the England dressing room? Share them in the comments.

Read more on Club Golf

Written by

Avishek Sarkar

Edited by

Rudra Dubey