John Terry: I'll play to 40 to be Chelsea's Ryan Giggs

In words that will be hugely popular with the Chelsea fans who have styled him the club's "captain, leader and legend" Terry claims that he has worked hard on his fitness in the last few years and believes that will allow him to have a long playing career like former Manchester United midfielder Giggs.

Giggs called time on a remarkable 23-year, trophy-laden United career at the age of 40 to take on the role of assistant manager to Louis van Gaal last year.

The 34-year-old Terry played a big role in Chelsea's title run last season and has no plans to stop anytime soon.

"In the last four or five years I've done a lot of extra work, not just at the training ground," Terry told Sky Sports News.

"Putting the effort in the gym, training ground, off the pitch and eat the right food, I'm hoping to carry on as a long as possible.

"There's an opportunity you see with players like Giggs of playing until a very big age."

Terry quit international football in 2012 after the Football Association banned him for four matches when he was accused of making a racist remark to Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand. He was cleared of the allegation in a London court.

The central defender believes quitting international football helped keep his fitness at a level where he was able to play every minute of the London club's triumphant league season.

Only four players, three of them goalkeepers, had previously featured in every game of a Premier League title-winning campaign before Terry.

Terry was in excellent form last season, and given that his game has always been based on nous rather than speed there is every reason to think that he could continue in his present vein for some time. But 40? That's a bold statement to make, something which makes us believe that this has more to do with Terry trying to land himself a long-term contract that keeps him at the club and handsomely paid beyond next summer, when his existing deal ends.