John Terry reveals his father 'kicked off' after his son signed for Chelsea

Chelsea legend John Terry has shed light on his father's fury after his son snubbed interest from Manchester United as a schoolboy.

The now 39-year-old's choice paid dividends, with the defender having made 717 appearances for the west London club across all competitions and helped them clinch a horde of silverware.

But at the tender age of 14, Terry was presented with a choice that defined his career - and his father, Edward, was left so incensed he refused to step onto the pitch as his son penned his deal.

Terry had featured for West Ham's academy before that point, and several Premier League giants began to circle including United and Arsenal.

After opting for Chelsea instead, however, his decision failed to receive backing from members of his own family.

The centre half had even attended two-week training camps for the Old Trafford outfit every summer, and Terry has now revealed the extent of his father's dismay.

He told the Footballer's Guide to Football podcast: 'I had the option between Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United and to be fair all of them went above and beyond.

'The moment I walked into Chelsea, it just felt right. I know that's going to sound really bizarre.

'Again, my dad never wanted me to sign for Chelsea. Actually, on the pitch of me signing my schoolboy form at the club, my dad refused to go on the pitch with me.

'I'm in the tunnel, the players are coming off the pitch and I'm waiting in the tunnel, Glenn Hoddle goes past and my dad's going, "You're not signing for this football club, we should sign for Manchester United".

But despite Edward's insistence the Chelsea legend was making a mistake, Terry says he believed, even as a youngster, that Stamford Bridge 'was right' for him.

He added: 'Again, me being me at the time I'm going, "I'm 100 per cent I'm signing here, if you don't come out with me I'm going out to sign". You needed a parent, so my mum said she would come and sign it with me, my dad's going mad at my mum, "No you won't".

'There's a picture of my mum and Graham Rix signing my contract, but my dad refused and absolutely kicked off that night. Again, me being the character I was, I knew Chelsea was right for me.

'One night that was probably supposed to be one of the best nights of my life turned out to be a tough one for a young 14-year-old to be honest.

'I just knew and loved Chelsea from the moment I walked in and never looked back, I still love the club and look out for every result now.'

Terry went on to enjoy a memorable tenure at Chelsea. He won five Premier League titles, and also lifted the Champions League, before bidding an emotional farewell in 2017.