John Terry claims his controversial guard of honour in his last Chelsea game was a career highlight

John Terry has admitted that the controversial guard of honour during his final Chelsea match was one of the best moments of his career.

The ex-Blues captain was substituted after just 26 minutes - the same figure as his squad number - during the final match of the 2016-17 Premier League season against Sunderland and his team-mates clapped him off the pitch in two lines.

Chelsea had already won the title by that point and had a FA Cup final against Arsenal a week later, but Terry's moment of glory received a mixed reception despite the good-feeling in the air.

Speaking to Kevin Pietersen on the Unacademy platform, Terry  said: 'It's one of the favourite moments of my career. I remember other players like Lamps didn't get the send-off they deserved so I was happy to go out how I wanted.

'(Antonio) Conte told me I could play the match but we came to an agreement that I would play for 26 minutes and that would allow Cahill to keep his rhythm ahead of the final the next weekend.'

Despite lifting the Premier League title at the end of the campaign, Terry played just nine times under then-head coach Conte that season, with defenders Cesar Azpilicueta, David Luiz and vice-captain Gary Cahill preferred to the ex-England skipper.

Despite the lack of performances, Terry claimed he would not have wanted to end his Stamford Bridge career in any other way.

He added: 'I didn't play much that season because Antonio Conte came in and we were playing three at the back.

'I was coming to the end but we won the league which was fantastic for me. I wanted a proper send-off and Conte and Gary Cahill were excellent with me.'

While the Blues won 5-1 against Sunderland that day, Chelsea went on to lose the FA Cup final on the following weekend to Arsenal, with Terry was an unused substitute at Wembley that day.

The defender then left to join Aston Villa in the Championship, but suffered another Wembley heartbreak as his new side lost the play-off final to Fulham in May 2018.

That game was his last in professional football, with the ex-England man now the assistant coach to Dean Smith at Villa Park.