Former Chelsea FC captain, England international and footballing legend John Terry looks back on his career, leadership style and successful transition to the world of business and community impact in a new interview with leading business and property podcast, Mennie Talks.
Hosted by serial investor, entrepreneur and property developer, Reece Mennie, the podcast episode explores John’s love for Chelsea Football Club, which has seen him step into the role of Youth Ambassador at Chelsea Youth Academy following 19 years at the club.
Keen to make a difference to the lives of young players through mentorship and coaching, John is passionate about giving back to the club he owes his career to: “Chelsea’s my life, I love Chelsea. Chelsea Football Club gave me absolutely everything…I’m really grateful for that so giving back is really important.”
Discussing his time as captain, John believes he was built to be a leader: “I don’t think you can make a leader. I think you can develop people and help them be better than they are. But I think when you look at the real leaders in the world of sport or football…that all comes from within.”
Having developed a mindset of “winning is everything” at a young age, John explains he strove to always lead by example, keeping high standards and ensuring every member of staff was rewarded for the team’s success.
Reflecting on Chelsea’s 2004/05 Premier League victory, John acknowledges the important roles played by everyone at the club: “It wasn’t just the players who won and got a mini trophy, we made sure every single member of staff got a miniature trophy and understood what winning looks like.”
John also discusses the team culture at Chelsea, which saw him and other players purchase a new car for a young player after his was stolen, as well as paying for driving lessons for younger members of the team. John says this culture of giving is not only the right thing to do, but inspires other players to carry on the tradition.
As well as the highs, John looks back at the low points in his career during the episode. One moment that stands out is the penalty he missed against Manchester United in Moscow in 2008 – an event he still thinks about regularly: “It’s those moments that make you realise that friends in football are few and far between, but the real ones at the difficult moments really do stand out.” John acknowledges that, on reflection, he needed more support at this time, but that the mentorship from Ray Wilkins in particular was a big help.
Moving onto his post-football ventures, John argues that he has always had an interest in property and development: “I think you’ve got to be brave in doing the things you believe in. Property is something I believe in.” Despite the risks involved with investing, he claims resilience is key: “You have to pick yourself up and go again, don’t you? It’s the only way.”
Discussing his future plans, John is hoping to continue with his philanthropic work and supporting young people, as well as supporting his own family: “I just want to enjoy my life. I feel like I’ve been very lucky in terms of the life I’ve been given. It’s also a big sacrifice – I missed the birth of my kids back in 2006. I want to be there for my wife and my kids and enjoy that time as much as possible.”
Ending the discussion with his advice for aspiring footballers or those starting out in business, John says: “The biggest takeaway is giving it absolutely everything”, and that there are “some things you just can’t manage…control the things you can control.”
Dedicated to hosting in-depth discussions with high performing individuals in sport, business and property, this latest episode of Mennie Talks featuring John Terry is now live via Apple, Spotify and YouTube.
https://www.reece-mennie.com/mennie-talks
