Captain
John Terry says he "didn't sleep a wink all night" after Chelsea's Champions
League exit but he was relieved he felt that way because it showed his
desire to carry on playing.
The Blues were knocked out at the last-16 stage of Europe's premier club
competition, losing on away goals to Paris Saint-Germain after draws in both
legs.
Terry won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2012 but did not play in the
final due to suspension, and he told The Sun: "I didn't sleep a wink all
night - but you know it would be horrible if I did.
"If I got home and went to sleep, for me something would be telling me, 'You
know what? Time's up'. If you're not caring, something's gone.
"But I do realise as well that there's a game three or four days later and
you have to pick yourself up, you have to go again. You can't dwell on it."
Terry was also effusive in his praise of Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, who he
credits for saving his career with a single phone call.
Back in the summer of 2013, the Chelsea captain's future at the club was in
doubt after a season of being in and out of the team under caretaker boss
Rafa Benitez.
But Terry revealed that, after it was confirmed Mourinho would be returning
to Stamford Bridge as manager, the Portuguese phoned him, saying just the
right things to inspire his skipper to rediscover the form and consistency
that have anchored the Blues defence.
"He knows what buttons to press. He knows what makes me tick," Terry told
The Sun. "And when he came back this time, I got that little phone call
saying 'I need you to hit the ground running. People have written you off'."
It is this ability to handle individual players differently so as to get the
best out of each of them that marks Mourinho out in Terry's eyes as the best
manager in the game.
The 34-year-old defender also believes Mourinho has a ruthless streak in his
drive to succeed - as evidenced by the selling of key players since
returning to the club in 2013.
"He wants the best out of everyone on a daily basis," the 34-year-old added.
"You look at some of the world-class players we've had - Juan Mata, David
Luiz - players like that who've left the club. He's seen something - I don't
know what - to let those big players go.
"He makes big judgement calls and gets them right.
"He also knows when players take their foot off the gas. He can sense
something before the game. He just gets a feel for everyone and every single
game. And I look at that and think no-one else that I've experienced as a
manager has got that."
That desire to perform for his boss is paying off for Terry. Mourinho seems
happy that his skipper can keep going for another season and the centre-back
is expecting to soon sign a further one-year extension to his contract to
stay at Stamford Bridge for a 21st year.
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