Chelsea captain John Terry has not been offered a new contract and will leave the club at the end of the season.
The 35-year-old defender, who joined the club at the age of 14, has won four Premier League titles, five FA Cups and the Champions League with the Blues.
“Ideally I would have loved to stay, but the club’s moving in a different direction,” he said.
However, a club spokesman said later on Sunday that Terry could yet be offered a new deal.
Terry has played 696 times for Chelsea and hopes to continue his career, but not with another English club.
‘Channels of dialogue open’
Guus Hiddink, who replaced the sacked Jose Mourinho in December, is in charge of the Blues until the end of the season.
“They said that when the new manager comes in, things might change,” Terry said after Chelsea’s FA Cup win at MK Dons. “It’s a no at the minute. I needed to know now like I have done every January and sometimes it takes a couple of months to get done.
“It’s not going to be a fairytale ending. I’m not going to retire at Chelsea, which it took me a couple of days to get over.”
However, Chelsea later suggested that Terry could be offered the chance to stay at Stamford Bridge.
“John was advised that while no new deal was currently on the table, that situation could change in the coming months,” said a Blues spokesman.
“The club has the utmost respect for John and everything he has helped us achieve to date.
“He is a fantastic servant of Chelsea and a superb captain and, as such, the club will keep the channels of dialogue open.”
A season of change
Terry’s 2015-16 season offers a stark contrast to the previous campaign, where he played every minute of Chelsea’s Premier League winning campaign.
This year he found himself on the bench under former manager Mourinho and was substituted at half-time during a defeat at Manchester City in August.
Chelsea suffered their worst start to a Premier League season, leading to Mourinho being sacked and replaced by Hiddink.
“I couldn’t play for another Premier League club. It will be elsewhere for sure,” said Terry.
“I feel as though I’m in great nick, I’m playing great and I’ve got a couple of years to go. It’ll just be elsewhere.
“The club will move on. No player is ever bigger than the club. No doubt they’ll sign one or two great centre-backs.”
‘Someone had to compromise’
Terry has played 477 league games for Chelsea. Only Ryan Giggs, Jamie Carragher, Steven Gerrard and Paul Scholes have managed more for a single club in the Premier League.
His captaincy arrived as the side embarked on their most successful spell in their history and he stands as the highest-scoring defender in Premier League history on 40 goals.
“It’s difficult,” said former Chelsea defender Graeme Le Saux. “The relationship between an older player who has been at the club all his career, it’s whether the club are going to compromise or the player will compromise.
“I’d love to see him there because I think he still as a huge role to play.”
Match of the Day pundit Mark Lawrenson added: “For most of his career at Chelsea, anyone could play with him, he was that good. I think he will jump across the Atlantic and meet his mate Frank Lampard in New York.”
–
Source: BBC