I'll always defend John Terry... and why he's better than Kompany, Rio, Campbell and Co



John Terry was a better version of me and his form was one of the main reasons I retired from international football



Some outstanding central defenders have graced the Premier League, such as Rio Ferdinand and Sol Campbell, but Terry is the pick of the bunch



Terry is England's best in his position, but he shouldn't travel to Brazil



Daniel Sturridge is lethal for Liverpool, but still unloved at his club



When the final whistle sounded and Liverpool's place in the 2005 final of the Champions League was secure, there was only one thing I wanted to do.



It wasn't to join the rest of my delirious team-mates, who were dancing in front of the Kop. I didn't even want to run to the part of Anfield where I knew my family and friends would be, even though this was one of the biggest moments of my career.

No. The celebrating could wait. My initial thought after that energy-sapping and emotionally draining collision with Chelsea was over was to go and shake hands with John Terry, who - like me - had given every last ounce to try to get his team to Istanbul.

VIDEO Scroll down to watch John Terry give one young Chelsea fan a day he'll never forget



Greats do battle: Jamie Carragher and John Terry tussle during the 2005 Champions League semi-final

Captain, leader, legend: Chelsea skipper Terry beats Carragher (right) and Sami Hyypia to the ball

Liverpool and Chelsea had gone toe to toe over two legs and the hallmark of each semi-final was brilliant defending - only one controversial goal separated us at the death.



John, of course, was distraught to get so close but I just wanted to tell him how good he had been.



We played the game the same way and that night in May 2005 we were like two boxers at the final bell.



As Liverpool and Chelsea's rivalry escalated, I remember Rafa Benitez saying to me 'how lucky' Mourinho was to have a player such as Terry. I quickly told him he was lucky to have me and Rafa replied, pulling his hand away from his nose to mimic Pinocchio: 'Yes, yes! You're as good as Terry!' Not to be beaten, I replied with the same gesture: 'Yes, yes! You're as good as Mourinho!'



But I could understand what Rafa meant. Terry had this ability to draw the ball to him like a magnet, always getting his head or his foot in the way just when it mattered. John was a better version of me and his form was one of the main reasons I retired from England.



Those games took place almost nine years ago but the passing of time has not impacted on the quality of performance Terry is still producing. If you asked me to select an all-time Premier League XI, he would be the first pick at the heart of my defence.

Some outstanding central defenders have graced the Premier League, such as Rio Ferdinand, Ricardo Carvalho, Jaap Stam, Tony Adams, Sol Campbell and Vincent Kompany - players with the medals to match their talent. Terry, however, is the pick of the bunch. He is the only defender since Paul McGrath in 1993 to be named PFA Player of the Year and I don't believe it has ever been appreciated what a consistently outstanding operator he has been.

I accept it might be controversial to praise him, given some of the off-field controversies he has been embroiled in. They have been dissected at length on these pages. I just feel that the way he is viewed obscures his playing qualities.



Head and shoulders above the rest: Terry beats West Ham's Andy Carroll to an aerial ball

Good Kompany: Manchester City skipper Vincent Kompany is one of the Premier League's best defenders

Just consider this: he was a fixture in the FIFPro Team of the Year at one stage, selected by his fellow professionals every season from 2005 to 2009. When you consider the talent that was around during that period, his consistency was remarkable.

Equally remarkable was Chelsea's 'goals against' column in their first title-winning season of 2004-05. They conceded only 15 in 38 games, a record I do not expect to be broken.



Terry, with his durability and his quality, was instrumental in driving Mourinho's men forward. Such attributes continue to serve him well - he is one of only five outfield players to appear in every minute of the 23 Barclays Premier League games this season.

Centre of attention: Rio Ferdinand (left) and Sol Campbell both had medals to match their talents

Putting his head where it hurts: Tony Adams (left) was the leader of Arsene Wenger's first great Arsenal team

Dutch of class: Jaap Stam was superb at the heart of Manchester United's defence

Ricardo the rock: Carvalho was Terry's partner at Chelsea and was a vital component of their defence

But on Monday night he will be aware that his biggest match of the campaign awaits. Walking out at the Etihad Stadium as a defender must feel like you are heading into the Alamo. Sergio Aguero will be missing, but when he's not causing problems, Alvaro Negredo and Edin Dzeko are, so it will be intriguing to see how Chelsea and Terry try to contain Manchester City.



At this moment, a trip to the Etihad is the most daunting challenge for a defender in European football. Arsenal went there with a fine record yet conceded six. Tottenham's goal difference was decimated the day they also got hit for six, while Manchester United were thrashed by four.



Leap of faith: Terry (right) shows no sign of declining like some other notable top-flight centre halves

Still up for the challenge: Terry is scrutinised more because he is not very popular away from Stamford Bridge

I still hear John being criticised for a lack of pace but very few centre backs are quick; Terry's reading of the game is outstanding and keeps him out of danger, while his ability on the ball never gets spoken about; how many defenders in world football can switch the play with their weaker foot?



Critics have been quick to write him off, particularly last season when he started only 14 times in the Premier League, but some of what has been said about him is nonsense; as soon as he has a bad game, it gets mentioned that he is over 30 and isn't the same as he was. That's rubbish.



Nemanja Vidic and Ferdinand, for instance, have suffered the same injury and form issues yet never get the same level of criticism. Terry gets such scrutiny because outside Stamford Bridge, he doesn't enjoy any popularity.

No going back: Despite his good form, Terry should not return for England

He remains England's best in his position but I don't believe for a minute Roy Hodgson should think about enticing him back to be part of his World Cup squad - there is too much history there. Nor do I think John would be well served ending his international retirement. Clearly he is benefitting from a lesser workload and that will help prolong his career.



Chelsea are looking to the future, as their signing of Kurt Zouma shows, but they should offer Terry a new deal, given how he has served them. And, more importantly, what he can continue to give them.



Sturridge lethal but still unloved on Kop



Daniel Sturridge continued his brilliant form in midweek with two goals in a fixture that should cement a Liverpool striker's place in Kop affections.



I was at Anfield on Tuesday and, once again, Sturridge made a big impression on me - he is playing with such confidence that you don't expect him to miss when he gets a chance - but, for some reason, I didn't hear his name being sung during the 4-0 win over Everton. It left me wondering: when are Liverpool and England supporters going to start appreciating his exploits?



He's scored 27 goals in 34 appearances since he joined Liverpool 12 months ago. That's a phenomenal ratio but it still feels at times that he has question marks hanging over him.



No Kop idol: Daniel Sturridge (right) has a brilliant record for Liverpool but seems unloved by the fans

Derby destroyer: Sturridge scored twice on Tuesday as Liverpool beat Everton 4-0 at Anfield

On a bad day, he can look lethargic and when he first joined Liverpool, I wondered whether he would spend a lot of time in the treatment room.



But in the past year, he has played regularly and has been one of the top players in the Premier League.



Wayne Rooney has been hailed for his excellent form this season and has scored nine goals in 18 Premier League games but Daniel's figures are even better, with 13 goals in 15 league appearances.



His consistency in the penalty area has been faultless. If he continues in this vein, Liverpool will have an outstanding chance of finishing in the top four. And if he carries it into the summer, England's hopes at the World Cup will be significantly improved too.



My five funniest manager quips...



1 KENNY DALGLISH: Kenny can be razor-sharp with his replies, as was highlighted after a 3-3 draw with Manchester United in 1988. Sir Alex Ferguson was complaining to radio reporters about decisions that had gone against his team. Kenny walked past, holding his baby daughter Lauren, and simply said: 'You'll get more sense out of her than him.'



Speaking their mind: Arsene Wenger (left) and Kenny Dalglish have both been partial to the odd amusing quip



2 ARSENE WENGER: When Ferguson claimed United were the better team in the 2002 title race, Arsenal's boss had this reply: 'Everyone thinks they have the prettiest wife at home.'



3 SIR ALEX FERGUSON: I loved Ferguson's press conferences, as he'd always come out with a jewel. I remember one about Wenger: 'They say he's an intelligent man, right? Speaks five languages. I've got a 15-year-old boy from the Ivory Coast here who speaks five languages!'

Jewel: Sir Alex Ferguson was good value in his press conferences as manager of Manchester United

4 SAM ALLARDYCE: West Ham's manager had his tongue in his cheek when, ahead of a game with Manchester City in 2012, he was asked if he saw himself competing at Champions League level. His reply? 'I won't ever be going to a top-four club because I'm not called Allardici, just Allardyce.'



5 JOSE MOURINHO: This list would not be complete without a quip from the Chelsea manager. This was his reply in 2006 to whether he was feeling pressure in the title race: 'For me, pressure is bird flu; I am feeling a lot of pressure with the swan in Scotland. I'm more scared of bird flu than football.'